Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425ºF/220ºC and butter a 13x9-inch baking pan (using separate butter or a small amount of the melted butter from the next step), then set it aside.

Step 2

Melt the butter, stir in the brown sugar, and pour it into the baking pan, ensuring it’s evenly spread. This creates a delicious caramel-like base.Keep a tablespoon of the sugar on one side to use later on.

Step 3

Leaving the crusts on, use a serrated knife to cut the bread into 1-inch cubes (or tear it apart by hand – though the pieces will be uneven).

Step 4

Spread the bread cubes over the butter-sugar mixture.

Step 5

Zest the lemon. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and cinnamon until thoroughly mixed.Be careful to whisk it into a smooth mixture, ensuring there are no noticeable bits of egg white.

Step 6

Pour the egg custard mixture over the bread evenly, ensuring the pieces are well-saturated. Sprinkle over the reserved sugar.

Step 7

Transfer the casserole to the oven and bake it for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the middle is fully cooked.If required, broil the casserole for a few minutes at the end to brown the top more.

Step 8

Finally, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for just a few minutes before slicing/spooning into bowls, optionally sprinkling with powdered sugar, and enjoying!