8cupcubed day-old breadbrioche or French bread works well
0.5cupraisins
2cupwhole milkfor custard
1cupheavy creamfor custard
0.75cupbeaten eggsabout 4 large; for custard
0.67cupgranulated sugarfor custard
0.28cuplight brown sugarpacked; for custard
1.25tspvanilla extractfor custard
1tspground cinnamon
0.25tspground nutmeg
0.38tspkosher saltfor custard
3tbspunsalted butter, meltedfor topping
1cupwhole milkfor vanilla sauce
0.5cupheavy creamfor vanilla sauce
0.33cupgranulated sugarfor vanilla sauce
1tbspcornstarchfor vanilla sauce
2tbspunsalted butterfor vanilla sauce
2tspvanilla extractfor vanilla sauce
0.06tspfine saltpinch; for vanilla sauce
Instructions
Preparation Steps
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
Cube the bread and add it to the dish. If very fresh, toast in the oven 5 minutes to dry slightly.
Whisk milk, cream, beaten eggs, both sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth.
Pour custard over the bread. Scatter raisins on top, then press gently so everything soaks. Rest 10 minutes.
Drizzle the melted butter over the surface.
Bake 40–45 minutes, until puffed, golden, and just set in the center.
Make the sauce: Whisk milk, cream, sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan until lump-free.
Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick and gently bubbling, 3–5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla.
Cool the pudding 10 minutes. Serve warm with spoonfuls of the warm vanilla sauce.
Notes
Try swapping raisins for chopped dates or chocolate chips, or add 1–2 tbsp bourbon to the sauce off heat. Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge; rewarm gently and thin the sauce with a splash of milk if needed.This recipe is an original creation inspired by classic Easy Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce flavors. All ingredient ratios and instructions are independently developed.