Bread pudding
With all this chilly weather, I'm compelled to make warm and satisfying comfort foods. Tonight I made the best bread pudding. I would occasionally order variations of this dessert from favorite restaurants, the apricot caramel bread pudding from The Might Oak Barrel or the chocolate banana from Kaya. Both are exceptionally delicious. But I had never actually made the dessert before.
I have become convinced it is the bread used that is key in making a good bread pudding. Using challah bread makes for the best French toast, it is ideal for bread pudding. Challah is my new favorite bread; it's a sweet and eggy bread. It's soft and dense, but firm and sponge like. Perfect for absorbing the custard base of bread pudding.
I did my homework. I investigated a number of recipes and this is what I put together and it turned out amazing.
Bread Pudding:
Several tablespoons unsalted butter, well softened
2/3 loaf of challah bread cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 cups half-and-half
4 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter both sides of each slice of bread and place on a baking pan. Toast in oven for 15-20 minutes, turning slices over halfway through. Remove and place on a rack to cool. Whisk together all ingredients until sugar dissolves to make the custard. Cut (or tear) toasted slices into quarters, leaving generously sized pieces throughout, and place into a shallow oval or rectangular baking baking dish. Pour custard over bread. Let this sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to thoroughly soak up the liquid. Place baking dish in a hot water bath and bake 50-55 minutes. Allow to cool outside of water bath to allow the pudding to finish setting. Serve warm sprinkled with pecans and drizzled with caramel.
2/3 loaf of challah bread cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 cups half-and-half
4 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter both sides of each slice of bread and place on a baking pan. Toast in oven for 15-20 minutes, turning slices over halfway through. Remove and place on a rack to cool. Whisk together all ingredients until sugar dissolves to make the custard. Cut (or tear) toasted slices into quarters, leaving generously sized pieces throughout, and place into a shallow oval or rectangular baking baking dish. Pour custard over bread. Let this sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to thoroughly soak up the liquid. Place baking dish in a hot water bath and bake 50-55 minutes. Allow to cool outside of water bath to allow the pudding to finish setting. Serve warm sprinkled with pecans and drizzled with caramel.