Custard Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce Recipe
This Custard Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce is a rich and comforting dessert that brings together soft, eggy custard soaked bread baked to golden perfection. It features cubes of French bread soaked overnight in a creamy mixture of milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, and sugar, then baked in a water bath to ensure a smooth, custard-like texture. Finished with a golden crust, this classic dessert can be served warm with vanilla sauce, fresh berries, or caramel sauce for added indulgence.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes plus overnight soaking
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Bread
- 16 oz loaf of French bread (454g), cubed into 1.5 inch pieces and dried
Custard Mixture
- 3 ¾ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 7 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- Optional: zest of ½ an orange
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread: Cube the loaf of French bread into 1.5-inch cubes. For the best results, ensure the bread is dry and stale by lightly toasting it in the oven or leaving it out for a couple of days to dry.
- Mix Custard Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla extract, and sugar until the eggs are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth with no visible egg whites.
- Combine Bread and Custard: Pour the custard mixture into a large glass baking dish. Add the dried bread cubes and gently toss until every piece is fully coated with the custard. You will notice extra liquid that will be absorbed as the bread soaks.
- Soak the Bread: Cover the baking dish and refrigerate it overnight or for a minimum of 2 hours. This allows the bread to soak up the custard mixture thoroughly for a rich texture.
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking.
- Prepare Water Bath: Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Place it inside a larger roasting pan, then pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish. This water bath prevents the custard from curdling during baking.
- Bake Covered: Bake in the preheated oven for 1.5 hours while covered with foil, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Toast the Crust: Remove the foil and continue baking until the top crust turns golden brown and crunchy. Keep a close eye to avoid burning.
- Serve: Serve the bread pudding warm, accompanied by vanilla sauce and optionally fresh berries or caramel sauce for extra flavor and decoration.
Notes
- Using stale or lightly toasted bread helps the custard absorb better and prevents a soggy pudding.
- Soaking the bread overnight is recommended for the best texture, but a minimum of 2 hours will also work.
- The water bath is crucial to gently cook the custard and prevent curdling or cracking.
- Keep watch after removing foil to get a perfect golden crust without burning.
- Enhance flavor by adding optional orange zest to the custard mixture.
Keywords: Bread pudding, custard dessert, baked bread pudding, French bread dessert, vanilla sauce dessert
