Description
This Custard Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce is a classic dessert featuring cubes of dry French bread soaked in a rich custard mixture made with whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Baked in a water bath to ensure a smooth, creamy texture, it’s finished with a golden, crunchy crust and served with a luscious bread pudding sauce and fresh berries or caramel sauce for added indulgence.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- 16 oz loaf of French bread (454g)
Custard Mixture
- 3 ¾ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- 7 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- Optional zest of ½ an orange
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread: Cube the loaf of French bread into 1.5 inch cubes. Ensure the bread is dry by lightly toasting the cubes in the oven or letting them sit out for a couple of days until stale for the best absorption.
- Mix the Custard: In a large bowl, whisk together whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and optional orange zest until eggs are fully incorporated and mixture is smooth without separated egg whites.
- Combine Bread and Custard: Pour the custard mixture into a large glass baking dish, then add the dried bread cubes. Gently toss until all bread cubes are thoroughly coated in custard. There will be extra liquid that will be absorbed by the bread.
- Soak: Cover the baking dish and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours to allow the bread to soak up the custard mixture fully.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Water Bath: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Place it into a larger roasting pan and pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish to create a water bath, which prevents the custard from curdling during baking.
- Bake Covered: Bake the pudding covered for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and custard is mostly set.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the foil and continue baking until the crust turns golden brown and crunchy. Keep a close eye to avoid burning.
- Serve: Serve warm with the classic bread pudding sauce and optional fresh berries or caramel sauce on the side for extra flavor.
Notes
- Use a glass 2-quart baking dish for accurate baking times.
- Allow bread to become as dry and stale as possible to absorb custard efficiently.
- The water bath is essential to prevent curdling and create a silky texture.
- You can add orange zest for a subtle citrus aroma or omit for a classic flavor.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated and can be gently reheated.
- For a richer variation, add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg to the custard mixture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 120 g)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 210 mg
