I Love Bread Pudding, Naturally

This evening was my first go at making bread pudding and it went spectacularly! I never realized how easy this dessert was prior to today's experimentation. Bread pudding is basically french toast baked in a pan, and oh, how I love french toast! The best part is, you can use day-old bread or even a harder loaf from a few days to a week old (as long as there is no mold or other spoilage.) Last week, I baked a gigantic loaf of whole wheat cinnamon raisin swirl bread since my cousin was visiting from out of town. Ironically, we barely got through a few slices while he was here, with all our other cooking. So, this bread pudding came at the perfect time. I hope you enjoy this recipe! Feel free to substitute your bread of choice. Also, this recipe lends itself well to all different toppings, such as yoghurt, cottage cheese, whipped cream or even ice cream. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding
Adapted from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything"
Makes 8 or more servings

Ingredients:
4 cups milk
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup plus one tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
pinch salt
1 medium loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, or other bread of choice (about 6-8 cups when torn)
5 large, free-range eggs

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Over low heat, in a small saucepan, warm the milk, butter, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1/2 cup of the sugar, vanilla extract and the salt, just until the butter melts. Meanwhile, butter an 8-inch square baking dish (glass is nice) and cut or tear the bread into bite-size pieces; they don't need to be too small.

Put the bread in the baking dish and pour the hot milk mixture over it. Let it sit for 8-10 minutes, occasionally submerging any pieces of bread that rise to the top. Beat the eggs briefly and stir them into the bread mixture. Mix together the remaining sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.

Set the baking dish in a larger baking dish and pour hot water in, to within about an inch of the top of the dish. Bake 40-50 minutes, until a thin-bladed knife inserted in the center comes out clean or nearly so; the center should be just a bit wobbly. Run under the broiler for about 30 seconds to brown the top a bit if you like. Serve warm or cold. This keeps best for a few days covered and refrigerated. Feel free to share this decadent dessert with friends or neighbors. I brought some downstairs to one of our neighbors and it went over quite well.

Here are some photos of the process: