Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch
casserole dish.

For the French toast: Lay the bread slices in one layer, overlapping a little as needed, on a baking sheet. Bake the slices (to dry them out) for 6 minutes, then flip and bake for 6 minutes more. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Dip each bread slice in the egg mixture to coat and layer the slices in the buttered casserole dish. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread. (If a lot of the liquid remains, you can choose to add a little less if you'd like this recipe less like bread pudding.) Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

For the coconut-almond crust: Put 1/2 cup of the coconut, 1/3 cup of the almonds, granulated sugar, flour, and salt in a food processor or blender and mix until very fine. If using a food processor, add the butter, egg, and egg yolk and process well to form a smooth paste. If using a blender, transfer the coconut/almond mixture to a bowl and then add the butter, egg, and egg yolk. Stir until smooth.

To assemble the casserole: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the coconut-almond mixture evenly over the soaked bread slices. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup sliced almonds and 3 tablespoons coconut and bake until puffed and lightly golden and the custard is set (the center of the casserole will no longer jiggle when shaken), 45 to 50 minutes.

Allow to cool for 1 hour before serving, or serve at room
temperature. Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and berries if desired.