Ultimate Bread Pudding

riffraff's Note:

The absolute ultimate bread pudding master formula.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 7 large eggs
• 5 large egg yolks
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 6 cups bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions:

1. Note: bread can be any non-savory firm textured bread.
2. Avoid soft supermarket bread- makes pudding mushy and avoid rustic crusty loaves with open crumb- doesn't absorb and yields too firm a pudding.
3. Whole wheat cinnamon raisin works well, but a brioche or challah work the best.
4. Preheat oven to 350, butter a 13x9 baking dish.
5. Whisk milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
6. Meanwhile scrape vanilla bean into milk mixture and throw in pods.
7. Heat to steaming, but not boiling.
8. Discard vanilla pods.
9. Whisk eggs and yolks in a large bowl, gradually add 2 cups of hot milk mixture, then pour egg mixture into the saucepan with the hot milk.
10. Strain and whisk in cream.
11. Spread bread cubes in prepared dish.
12. Slowly pour custard over bread being sure to saturate all of the bread.
13. Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour or until a small knife inserted in the center of the pudding comes out clean.
14. Serve warm or chilled with whipped cream or caramel sauce.
15. Note: you can add raisins, currents, dried cranberries, sour cherries or any other dried fruit you like.

Reviews

[Chef #188395]

This was absolutely fabulous! I made mine with raisin bread, added a few extra raisins, and sprinkled cinnamon on the top before baking. With 15 inches of snow on the ground, you couldn't ask for a better comfort food!

[mianbao]

Half the recipe was perfect for a 6 cup baking dish. I used homemade bran rolls and raisins, and sprinkled a little cinnamon sugar on the bread. It did take longer, but I think that's just my oven. Mean Chef, thank you for a delicious recipe.