Gingerbread French Toast Breakfast Bake

1 long French stick, sliced 2 cm thick, 1-2 day old is fine
¼ cup butter, melted (half a stick)
3 large eggs
½ cup milk
¼ cup maple or golden syrup
¼ cup light, or medium molasses (not blackstrap, too bitter)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp allspice
½ tsp ground nutmeg, to taste
½ tsp ground cloves, to taste
SIDS SALT & PEPPER to taste
Icing sugar for dusting, optional
Golden or maple syrup, for serving

Line a 20 x 22 cm pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray.
Add the sliced bread in 3 rows of about 8 slices per row, slightly overlapping. It will be a tight fit to get 3 rows in when bread is dry, but it softens as it marinates and you can rearrange it with ease, if necessary, after time has passed - set pan aside.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute. (or use browned butter) Allow the butter to cool momentarily so you don’t scramble the eggs or curdle the milk.
Add the next 10 ingredients, to SIDS SALT & PEPPER, and whisk to combine. I used the full amount of spices listed, but if you’re more sensitive to spices, reduce them to taste, possibly halving all amounts.
Slowly and evenly pour mixture over the bread, gently separating the slices with your fingers, and pour marinade between the slices. It will seem like a lot and it is, but most soaks in overnight.
Cover pan with foil to prevent fridge smells, and place in fridge for at least 4 hours, but overnight (or up to 24 hours) is better.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 175°C and remove pan from fridge while oven preheats.
The next morning, carefully spoon any pooled liquid at the bottom of the pan over the top of the bread, redistributing it and re-drenching any white patches or dry looking places.
Bake for about 20-35 minutes, until done. Baking times will vary greatly based on how much liquid did or didn’t soak into your bread, how firm or soft bread was to begin with, personal preference for doneness, oven and climate variances, etc. I baked for 28 minutes in my very hot-running oven and my bread was very soft and fresh, and it was very juicy before baking. I didn’t need to, but if you feel like your bread is crisping up or browning a bit too quickly, tent with a sheet of foil laid over the top.
Optionally, dust with icing sugar, and serve with butter and syrup, or your favourite French toast toppings, i.e. fruit or jam. French toast is best fresh, but extra will keep airtight for up to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in the micro before serving.