Description
A comforting and indulgent dessert made from cubes of stale bread soaked in a rich custard mixture, baked to perfection, and served with a smooth vanilla sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed day-old bread
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
- For Vanilla Sauce:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter until well combined.
- Add the cubed bread to the custard mixture, ensuring all pieces are soaked. If using, fold in raisins.
- Pour the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish and press down gently to compact the bread.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted comes out clean.
- While the pudding bakes, prepare the vanilla sauce: In a saucepan, heat cream, sugar, and butter over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is warm.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Once the bread pudding is done, remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.
- Serve warm with vanilla sauce poured over the top.
Notes
- For a richer flavor, use a combination of half-and-half and whole milk.
- Try adding a handful of chopped nuts or a dash of nutmeg to the pudding mixture for variation.
- The bread pudding can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated overnight for a quicker preparation the next day.
- If you don’t have day-old bread, toast fresh bread lightly to help it absorb the custard mixture.