Ultimate Bread Pudding

Directions

1. 1
   Note: bread can be any non-savory firm textured bread.
2. 2
   Avoid soft supermarket bread- makes pudding mushy and avoid rustic crusty loaves with open crumb- doesn't absorb and yields too firm a pudding.
3. 3
   Whole wheat cinnamon raisin works well, but a brioche or challah work the best.
4. 4
   Preheat oven to 350, butter a 13x9 baking dish.
5. 5
   Whisk milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
6. 6
   Meanwhile scrape vanilla bean into milk mixture and throw in pods.
7. 7
   Heat to steaming, but not boiling.
8. 8
   Discard vanilla pods.
9. 9
   Whisk eggs and yolks in a large bowl, gradually add 2 cups of hot milk mixture, then pour egg mixture into the saucepan with the hot milk.
10. 10
    Strain and whisk in cream.
11. 11
    Spread bread cubes in prepared dish.
12. 12
    Slowly pour custard over bread being sure to saturate all of the bread.
13. 13
    Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour or until a small knife inserted in the center of the pudding comes out clean.
14. 14
    Serve warm or chilled with whipped cream or caramel sauce.
15. 15
    Note: you can add raisins, currents, dried cranberries, sour cherries or any other dried fruit you like.