Ted, that recipe should serve six. I prefer it made with white bread and usually make it with homemade French or Italian. I tend to slice bread slightly thicker than store bought bread.

The full recipe for the caramel sauce will serve more than 6. Probably 10 or 12 depending on how generous with the sauce you are. Although I should warn you. Everyone loves the sauce so make lots. LOL!

Ann

Mmmmmmm....bread pudding made with croissants. :D

Thanks for the info. Yes, the sauce is wonderful and I will make plenty; however, I'm a bit worried about it 'keeping'. I have to make it in the morning and transport it to school to be served at lunch. I'm thinking crockpot.

Now, I hadn't considered croissants. Will they absorb the custard and stay 'firm'? I prefer my bread pudding on the firm side - I want to be able to 'cut' a serving.

Thanks again.

ted

Ted, go with the bread. I prefer my bread pudding "sliceable" to. Although I do like to see ribbons of custard throughout it too. You don't have to worry about the sauce "keeping" so much as you do want to serve it warm. I keep the sauce in the fridge and just warm it up in the microwave.

Ann

They absorb it fine, just let it sit a little longer before baking it. And I've always had it come out firm. I've only had mushy bread pudding once, and didn't like it.

To be really decadent, mix some dried cherries plumped in Grand Marnier into the pudding before baking and serve it with a pool of Creme Anglaise dotted with a few more of the plumped cherries.

My son works as a Barrista at a coffee shop, where they serve muffins, pastries, croissants etc. Any thing that isn't sold that day is tossed out (although they've finally just started donating). I'm able to get leftover croissants and freeze them for my bread puddings.
I make a dark chocolate and almond bread pudding to die for :) I just layer croissants, chopped good dark chocolate and dry roasted sliced almonds, then making sure I let the custard really soak in prior to baking.
So yummy on its own or with a drizzle of caramel sauce :)
I'll make a large pan so that I'm able to freeze enough for another evenings dessert. Making sure I wrap the portions in waxed or parchment paper and then into freezer bags. Reheat in either the oven or a quick spin in the microwave.
The only time I've had "mushy" bread pudding was when I didn't cook it long enough.

I managed to somewhat overcook a batch of muffins last month when my kitchen timer let me down. They were too dried out for me to enjoy out of hand, but I couldn't bring myself to compost them. So I stuck them in the freezer while I thought of a suitable end use. They made the BEST bread pudding. Might have to mess up another batch of muffins soon...

Ann - would you mind posting the recipe? I searched and couldn't dig it out of all the hits.

I was never a fan of bread pudding but I think I just never had a good version.

Thanks!

Sue

Here you go Sue.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Bread And Butter Pudding With Caramel Sauce
===========================================
5 or 6 slices of bread
1/2 cup butter

1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 cups cream (Or milk)
vanilla
pinch of salt

Caramel Sauce

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

NOTE: If you prefer the pudding to have more custard, then use less bread so that all of the custard is not absorbed into the bread when baked.

Cut crusts from bread and spread each slice with butter. (Bread slices
can be left whole, or cut into halves, quarters or cubes.

Place bread buttered side up in a oven proof dish. (may use any shape
dish, or glass loaf pan, cutting bread to fit)

Beat the sugar and eggs together and then add the cream, vanilla and
salt.

Pour over bread and allow the bread to absorb. (make be refrigerated
at this point and baked later)

sprinkle with some white sugar and place dish into a pan of hot water
and bake in a 350 oven for 45 to 1 hour, or until pudding is set and
golden.

To make caramel sauce,

bring butter, sugars, cream and salt to a boil and then simmer for 3 or
4 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Custard sauce for Chocolate Bread and butter Pudding.

The custard sauce was really easy. It was just two cups of milk or
cream ( I used coffee cream) heated to a simmer. Mix three tablespoons
of flour into 1/2 cup of white sugar and mix into a beaten egg.

When the milk is hot, slowly pour the milk into the egg
mixture,stirring constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pot and
cook over low heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the
vanilla. Custard should be pouring consistency. Cover the surface
directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.