Prepare the custard: Crack the eggs into a medium mixing bowl and whisk vigorously for about 30 seconds until the yolks and whites are fully combined and the mixture looks pale yellow and slightly frothy. Add the milk, caster sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, then whisk again until the sugar has dissolved — you should hear the granules scraping against the bottom of the bowl disappear.

Heat the pan: Place a large frying pan or skillet over a medium heat and add half the butter. Watch as the butter melts, sizzles gently, and begins to foam — that foaming sound tells you the pan is at the right temperature. If the butter browns immediately, the heat is too high.

Soak the bread: Take one slice of bread and dip it into the custard mixture, holding it for about 10 seconds per side. You want the bread to feel heavy and saturated but not falling apart — when you lift it, a few drips should fall, but the slice should hold its shape. The surface should look uniformly wet with no dry patches.

Cook the first batch: Carefully lay the soaked bread into the hot butter. You should hear a satisfying sizzle immediately — if you don't, the pan isn't hot enough. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the underside is deep golden brown and the edges look caramelised. The surface will start to puff up slightly as the egg cooks.

Flip and finish: Using a spatula, flip the slice over. The cooked side should be a rich amber colour with darker spots where the custard caramelised. Cook for another 2 minutes until the second side is equally golden and the centre feels firm but springy when pressed gently with the spatula.

Keep warm while you finish: Transfer the cooked French toast to a plate and keep it in a low oven (about 100°C) while you repeat with the remaining slices, adding more butter to the pan as needed. The kitchen should smell warmly of cinnamon and vanilla at this point.

Serve immediately: Stack two slices per person, drizzle generously with maple syrup, and add a handful of fresh berries if you like. A light dusting of icing sugar makes it look rather special, though that's entirely optional.