Ultimate Caramel Bread Pudding
"Adapted from a Cook's Illustrated recipe, this is by far the best bread pudding I've ever had. Rustic, easy, and oh-so-delicious. Make two and hide one for yourself."
photo by rpgaymer
- Ready In:
- 1hr 15mins
- Ingredients:
- 6
- Serves:
-
12
ingredients
- 4 cups caramel sauce (see separate recipe)
- 1 large loaf bread
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
directions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Spread 1 c Caramel Sauce in bottom of 13 x 9 pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Any large loaf will do, but a nice French bread, or a Challah work especially well.
- Spread bread cubes onto sheet pan in a single layer. Brown in oven for about 10-12 minutes.
- Reduce oven to 325. Don't forget this step (the voice of experience speaks)!
- In a medium bowl, mix eggs, half-and-half, vanilla and salt. Add 1 1/2 c caramel sauce to this mixture.
- Place bread cubes in a very large bowl and pour mixture over cubes. Toss gently until all cubes are coated.
- Let stand 20 minutes, gently mixing occasionally. Be sure that there are no dry cubes!
- Spread the soaked bread over the caramel in the 13 x 9 pan.
- Bake at lower oven level for 45 minutes.
- Let cool 30 minutes and serve, drizzled with remaining caramel sauce.
Questions & Replies
-
Where is the recipe for the caramel sauce? It said recipe below but I couldn’t find it. Would really appreciate you getting back to me. Thanks very much!!
Reviews
-
Well. This recipe went over great. Made me an all-star. My wife had been asking for bread pudding for weeks. Only problem is that I had never made it, and my wife does not like nuts or fruit in her bread pudding. All I can say is this recipe fit the bill perfectly. -
So good, and it showcases that delicious caramel sauce perfectly. I loved the texture of the bread pudding, and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream was the perfect topping. It was also surprisingly easy to make. I used a plain white bread, but next time I might try French bread. [Made & Reviewed for PAC Fall 2013]
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I'm an experienced home cook who's been cooking since about the age of 11.
My favorite foods include... well, I like just about everything (with the exception of liver and other organs).
Favorite cuisines include Tex-Mex, Pan-asian and good old Southern cooking.
I also enjoy home canning, which is a great source of gifts from the kitchen!
