1 long, thin 8 oz. loaf French or Italian bread, without seeds
8 lg. eggs
3 c. milk
4 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. butter, cut in sm. pieces
Syrup, honey, yogurt or sour cream to garnish (optional)

Lightly grease 9x13x2 inch baking dish. Cut bread into 1 inch thick slices; arrange in one layer on bottom of pan. Beat eggs in large mixing bowl until lightly beaten. Add milk, sugar, salt and vanilla; beat 30 seconds to combine. Gently pour over bread in pan, being sure to saturate all bread with mixture. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 36 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover pan. Dot with butter. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until bread is puffy and lightly browned. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with syrup or other toppings, if desired. Makes 8 servings.