8cupscubed gluten free enriched bread(such as homemade brioche, Hawaiian rolls, white sandwich bread, etc, or store bought bread)
5largeeggs
4cups (960 ml)whole milk(a dairy free milk may be substituted)
1½cups (300 g)granulated sugar
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonnutmeg
SAUCE:
½cup (100 g)granulated sugar
½cup (100 g)light brown sugar
½cup (156 ml)light corn syrup(honey or agave nectar may be substituted)
½cup (113 g)butter
1cup (240 ml)heavy cream
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1cup (240 ml)spiced rum, optional
Instructions
Bread Pudding
Preheat oven to 350° F. Place bread cubes on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, sugar, and nutmeg until well combined. Add the bread cubes and toss to coat.
Pour into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan (or a smaller pan, such as an 11 by 8 inch, for taller slices) and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator overnight. You can help the bread soak up more of the custard by putting something heavy on top of the plastic wrap, such as cans or jars so that the bread is fully submerged into the custardy liquid.
The next day, remove the plastic wrap and bake at 325° F for one hour, until there are no signs of any liquid remaining in the pan.
Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream and the sauce. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Sauce
In large saute or sauce pan, combine the sugars, butter, corn syrup, and half of the cream over medium heat. Bring it to a boil and add the rest of the cream very slowly, not letting the sauce stop boiling.
Add the spiced rum, if using. If you know how to flambe and are comfortable doing so, light it on fire, keeping your face well away from the stove top. If you're not comfortable doing this, you can just let the alcohol boil off. Allow the mixture to boil for about 3 more minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and add vanilla extract. Serve warm over bread pudding with vanilla ice cream. Store in the refrigerator.