Custard Bread Pudding

Instructions

1. 1

   Dry the bread

   Heat the oven to 300°F with a rack in the center. Spread the bread cubes on a large sheet pan in a single layer and bake 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through. You want them dry and barely golden all the way to the middle, not toasted dark. Squeeze a cube from the center of the pan; it should feel light and crisp rather than springy. Let them cool for about 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Butter the dish

   Rub the softened butter generously over the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Tip in the cooled bread cubes and scatter the raisins among them, tucking most of the fruit down between the cubes so it doesn't scorch on top.

3. 3

   Whisk the custard

   In a large bowl, whisk the whole eggs and yolks with both sugars until smooth and slightly lightened. Whisk in the milk, cream, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Keep whisking until you see no streaks of egg white clinging to the side of the bowl; unmixed white turns rubbery in the oven.

4. 4

   Soak

   Pour the custard evenly over the bread. Press the cubes down firmly with a flat spatula or your palm, then let the dish sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, pressing again every 10 minutes or so. The bread should look swollen and heavy, with only a shallow pool of custard left around the edges. This is where the texture is won, so don't rush it.

5. 5

   Top and heat the oven

   While the bread soaks, heat the oven to 350°F. Just before baking, press the top layer down one last time so every cube has a damp surface, then sprinkle the turbinado sugar evenly over the whole thing.

6. 6

   Bake

   Bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes. It's done when the top is deep golden and crisp, the center is puffed and no longer sloshes when you nudge the dish, and an instant-read thermometer in the middle reads 170 to 175°F. If the top is browning faster than the center is setting, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the dish for the last 15 minutes.

7. 7

   Rest before serving

   Let the pudding rest on a rack for at least 20 minutes. It will settle from puffed to level as it cools, and the custard firms up enough to hold a clean scoop. Serve warm, on its own or with cold cream poured over the top.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Enriched breads like challah, brioche, and leftover panettone give the plushest result. A sturdy French loaf works too, and makes a chewier, more rustic pudding.

• 2.

  If your bread is genuinely stale and rock-hard, you can skip the oven-drying and go straight to soaking, but give it 45 minutes instead of 30.

• 3.

  For an especially silky, evenly cooked center, set the dish in a roasting pan and pour hot water halfway up the sides. It adds about 15 minutes to the bake and gives up some of the crisp top in exchange.

• 4.

  Assemble it the night before: cover the soaked, unbaked pudding and refrigerate, then sprinkle the turbinado and bake straight from cold, adding 5 to 10 minutes.

• 5.

  A quick sauce goes a long way. Simmer 1/2 cup heavy cream with 1/4 cup brown sugar and a splash of bourbon for 3 minutes, then pour it over each warm serving.

• 6.

  Pull it at 170°F, not later. Overbaked custard weeps liquid as it cools and the texture turns grainy.

Equipment

• 9x13-inch baking dish
• Large rimmed sheet pan
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Flat spatula
• Instant-read thermometer
• Wire cooling rack

Storage