Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat*. Prepare your bread by slicing it into thick strips, about 1 inch wide and 4 inches long.

Pour your milk into a large, shallow dish (I used a pie pan) and stir in maple syrup, vanilla, HALF of the cinnamon, flaxseeds, and salt

Taking one slice at a time, submerge in the milk mixture and flip to coat as needed. Don't let it sit too long as you don't want it to fall apart. A few seconds should do the trick. Place dunked french toast stick on the prepared sheet and repeat with remaining slices of bread. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully flip slices over. Place back in oven and bake for 5-10 more minutes, checking to ensure the pieces do not dry out too much. While baking, mix remaining 2 teaspoon cinnamon and sugar on a large plate.

Melt butter in the microwave or in a large skillet. Remove from heat.

Carefully remove french toast sticks from oven and quickly toss in butter then in cinnamon sugar mixture, taking care to tap off the excess sugar and to not burn yourself! Serve warm with maple syrup, if desired.