Description
A warm, creamy custard bread pudding topped with silky vanilla sauce, evoking nostalgia and comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 oz French bread, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
- 3 3/4 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 7 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- Zest of 1/2 orange (optional)
- 1/2 cup milk (for vanilla sauce)
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons sugar (for vanilla sauce)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F. Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and toast them for about 10-15 minutes until they’re dry but not browned.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and optional orange zest until smooth and creamy.
- In a greased 9×13 inch baking dish, layer the toasted bread and pour the custard mixture over it. Gently press down to ensure every morsel absorbs the creamy goodness. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours; overnight is even better!
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan filled halfway with hot water. Cover it with foil and bake for 1.5 hours. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick emerges clean.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk and half and half over medium heat until just simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale. Slowly stream in the hot milk while whisking, then return to heat and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Allow the bread pudding to cool slightly, then slice and serve warm drizzled with the vanilla sauce.
Notes
Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a sprinkle of powdered sugar for extra delight. Monitor baking closely to avoid overbaking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 120 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 160mg