BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients

• Bread Pudding
• 8-9 cups day-old challah or brioche bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 ½ cups milk, at room temperature, preferably whole milk
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup raisins optional
• vanilla sauce
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
Add the bread cubes to the prepared casserole.
In a large bowl, stir together melted butter, eggs, milk, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and vanilla extract. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, cover, and let sit for about 30 minutes to absorb the cream.Bake for 35-45 minutes or until pudding is set and bread pudding is lightly browned. Let the bread pudding cool on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon. Since it bubbles a lot, you have to stir constantly.Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes before adding vanilla. Be careful as bubbles may still form.
Serve the bread pudding with the warm vanilla sauce on top. If you think you have more leftover, cut it into individual slices.

Notes

I like to use challah or brioche bread, but honestly, you can also use French bread, sandwich bread, or croissants.To absorb a lot of cream, a day-old or slightly stale bread is best, but keep in mind that you don’t want it to be so stale that it won’t absorb any.
Milk and eggs need to be at room temperature so that the butter stays melted when added and doesn’t solidify.
The bread pudding can be made 1 or 2 days in advance and reheated, but the sauce should be saved until the day of preparation. Store the casserole tightly covered in the refrigerator. Remove casserole 45 minutes before reheating to bring to room temperature.Cover with foil and heat at 275 degrees until warm, about 30 minutes.
Store bread pudding, tightly covered or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze baked bread pudding, reserve the sauce until the day of serving. Cover the baking dish with two layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Store the casserole tightly covered in the refrigerator. Remove casserole 45 minutes before reheating to bring to room temperature. Cover with foil and heat at 275 degrees until warm, about 30 minutes.

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