I start by preheating the oven to 300°F (150°C).

Lower heat is important here. High heat will brown the toast too quickly before it fully dries out.

Using a sharp bread knife, I cut the loaf into thin slices — about ¼ inch thick.

This step makes a huge difference.

One of my early mistakes was slicing them thicker. They stayed soft inside and never achieved that classic trenary crunch.

In a small bowl I mix:

Melted butter

Sugar

Vanilla extract

A pinch of salt

The mixture smells amazing already — warm, buttery, and slightly sweet.

I lay the slices on a baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with the butter mixture.

You don’t need to soak them. Just enough to coat the surface.

Too much butter can actually make the toast greasy instead of crisp.

I bake the slices for 15 minutes.

At this point they start drying out but are still pale.

I flip each slice and bake for another 15–20 minutes.

Now the edges slowly turn golden and the kitchen starts smelling like a bakery.

The toast should feel firm and crunchy when tapped.