Get ready to fall in love with this easy sweet bread pudding recipe made with brioche, cinnamon custard and raisins. Or not.
Prepare Bread
This step is very important in order to avoid soggy bread pudding. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut sliced brioche bread into triangle pieces and place in single layers on a baking sheet. Place baking sheet in oven, turn oven off and allow bread to rest in oven for about 5 minutes or until bread is dry. Note: do not allow bread to brown.
Prepare Sweet Egg Coating
In a medium bowl add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and whisk until combined then set aside.
Prepare Milk
In a small sauce pan add 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup half and half milk and 1/4 cup salted butter and warm over medium heat until butter has melted then set aside.
Coat Bread
Remove dried bread from oven and place in a baking pan. Drizzle the sweet egg coating onto dried bread and stir making sure all pieces are coated.
Soak Bread
Then pour the warm milk on top of coated bread and allow to rest until bread has absorbed the milk or until bread is very moist. More than likely not all the milk will be absorbed and that is okay.
Prepare Baking Dish
Transfer half soaked bread to an 11-inch oval baking dish, sprinkle half of the raisins on top. Add remaining soaked bread on top of the raisins, then add the rest of the raisins tucking them into the crevices. If any raisins are left on top they will dry out during the baking process. Feel free to add a little of the left over milk to the baking dish but not too much.
Bake Bread Pudding
Place baking dish on a baking pan and bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for 45 minutes. During the baking process the bread will puff up and rise some.
Prepare Sweet Sauce
In a small sauce pan add 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 1/2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1/4 cup sugar and whisk until well combined and free of lumps. Add 2 Tablespoons salted butter and cook over medium heat until butter has melted and sauce has thickened some. Use a large kitchen Tablespoon and drizzle the sweet sauce over the warm bread making sure to get between every nook and cranny. Enjoy it while it's warm and store any leftover bread pudding covered in the refrigerator. Tip: serve any left over sweet sauce drizzled over individual servings.