Ingredients

1 (1 lb) loaf of good Italian bread (see notes below!), sliced into 3/4″ slices
1 cup milk
6 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil and butter or bacon grease, for greasing the pan
butter and maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

Place a large skillet over medium heat, or preheat a griddle to 325*. Whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a flat-bottomed dish, like a 2-quart casserole dish.
Add about 1 Tablespoon of oil to the pan and allow it to heat up, then melt in about a teaspoon of butter or bacon grease and swirl them together. Dip a slice of bread into the egg mixture, briefly dipping it on both sides, then lay it in the pan. Repeat until the skillet is full. Cook about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown, then flip the slices and cook 2-3 minutes more, until the second side is brown.
Repeat with remaining bread and egg mixture, adding more oil and butter to the skillet with each batch or as needed. Serve french toast immediately, with butter and maple syrup!

Notes

What my family calls “good Italian bread” is somewhere in the middle of the crusty–squishy scale, somewhere in the middle of the airy–dense scale, and has good flavor on its own. However, you can use any bread you like!

How much egg mixture you need really depends on the texture and density of the bread you use – different breads soak up more or less of the liquid. You can always mix up a bit more using the 1 egg + 1 “blup” of milk method mentioned in the post, or scavenge around for a couple regular pieces of bread to French toast-ify if you have extra egg mixture. :o)