15 Hawaiian Roll Bakes vs Classic French Toast

This version uses one 340 g (12 oz) tray of King's Hawaiian sweet rolls, torn into chunks and soaked in a custard of eggs, milk, cream and vanilla. Because the rolls are already soft and slightly sweet, they soak up the custard in as little as 2 hours, so you don't have to plan a night ahead. Baked at 180°C (350°F) for 30-40 minutes, the top turns deep golden while the inside stays custardy rather than dry. The rolls' natural sweetness means you can dial back the added sugar and still get a pudding-like bake.

The classic bake uses about 450-500 g (1 lb) of day-old French bread, brioche or challah, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) cubes. Because this bread is drier and denser, most recipes call for an overnight soak of at least 8 hours, or a quick 15-20 minute dry-out in a 150°C (300°F) oven if you're short on time. The same 180°C (350°F) oven and similar 30-40 minute bake time apply, but the crumb comes out closer to a firm bread pudding than a soft, fluffy one. Classic loaves also carry less built-in sweetness, so the custard usually needs an extra tablespoon or two of sugar.

A 12-count tray of Hawaiian sweet rolls costs roughly £3-£3.50 in most UK supermarkets and gives you exactly the right amount for a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) dish with no waste. A loaf of brioche or challah for the classic version runs closer to £2.50-£3.50, but you'll often buy more than you need and end up with dry heels leftover. Eggs, milk, cream, sugar and spices add roughly £2 either way, so the real difference comes down to the bread: Hawaiian rolls cost slightly more per bake but leave nothing wasted.

Hawaiian rolls bake up soft, pillowy and faintly tropical-sweet, with a texture closer to bread pudding than crisp French toast. The classic version, especially made with stale French bread, holds its shape better and gives you distinct cubes with a slightly chewier bite and crisp edges where the custard caramelises. If you want a dessert-like brunch bake that needs little extra sugar, Hawaiian rolls win; if you want something that tastes unmistakably like French toast, the classic loaf is closer to the diner original.

The Hawaiian roll casserole is the faster option: rolls can go from fridge to table with as little as 2 hours of chilling, since the soft crumb absorbs custard quickly and doesn't need drying out first. The classic version generally needs its bread dried out first, either left out overnight or toasted for 15-20 minutes, then a full 8-hour soak for the best texture. Both versions bake for a similar 30-40 minutes, so nearly all the time difference between them comes down to how long the bread needs to sit before it goes in the oven.

Pick the Hawaiian roll french toast casserole for a last-minute brunch, a kids' breakfast, or whenever you want a sweeter, softer bake without overnight planning. Choose the classic version when you're feeding a crowd that wants a more traditional French toast texture, or when you already have stale bread that needs using up. For make-ahead entertaining where you want to prep the night before and bake in the morning, both work equally well, so it really comes down to whether you prefer a fluffy, sweet crumb or a firmer, more classic bite.