Baked Mascarpone French Toast with Cherries

For French toast that’s custardy but doesn’t fall apart, you need stale—or at least dried-out—bread. Oven-drying fresh bread gets it there pretty quickly, and the results are worth the extra time. Heat the oven to 200°F and put the bread on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until the bread is dried on the outside but not browned, 5 to 20 min…