In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, half and half, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Working in batches, dip the brioche bread into the custard mixture and turn, giving the bread ample time to soak up the custard thoroughly. Grease the griddle with butter and cook the soaked bread until nicely browned on both sides and cooked all the way through. You don’t want it to be soggy, so give it plenty of time, flipping it frequently and adjusting your heat so that you don’t burn the outsides before the insides are cooked.

If you have leftover custard, don’t waste it—dip and griddle whatever bread you’ve got around!! Sandwich bread heels, last week’s croissants, a sliced up baguette, or stale donuts work beautifully.

In a small saucepan, heat the brown sugar, water, and salt to dissolve. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla and orange extracts and butter. Stir to melt the butter and drizzle this over the cooked French toast to serve.