Bluewater Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce
This is decadent--we only make it a few times a yearvery, very special.
This is decadent--we only make it a few times a yearvery, very special.
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- sauce
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 4 large eggs
- pudding
- 1/2 pound dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup dark rum
- 2.5 cups whole milk
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 tblsp vanilla extract
- 12 slices white bread (i use pepperidge farms) remove crusts
- 3 tblsp unsalted butter room temp
- 1/2 cup dried currents or cranberries
- Carbohydrate 65.9412787970196 g
- Cholesterol 1412.03437501737 mg
- Fat 45.9148812546957 g
- Fiber 2.0838218369484 g
- Protein 29.053977865514 g
- Saturated Fat 19.3943425966712 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (355g)
- Sodium 367.030428980543 mg
- Sugar 63.8574569600712 g
- Trans Fat 4.13963203149437 g
- Calories 824 calories
Step-by-step
- SAUCE: Whisk all sauce ingredients, boil, then simmer until thick.
- 1. Spray or butter bread loaf baking dish (11x7, glass if possible)--this makes enough for two loaves.
- 2. Combine milk, cream, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt in large bowl; blend well.
- 3. Spread one side of each slice of bread with butter; in each baking dish, arrange slices of bread, buttered side up in a single layer; sprinkle with cranberries and put on the next layer; repeat until bread is gone (three layers)...don't sprinkle the cranberries on the top layer.
- 4. Pour custard over bread and let stand 15 minutes (I gently press a spoon over the top layer to ensure it soaks).
- 5. If possible, put pudding dish in larger baking dish with water (if you are using bread loaf pans, a cake dish usually works here).
- 6.Bake at 350 degrees until set (will be golden brown on top)
Rich custard sets into a firm, golden structure while dark rum and nutmeg provide aromatic depth beneath a sweet caramel coating. Baking this dessert inside a water bath protects the dairy and egg proteins from overheating, ensuring a smooth custard instead of a scrambled texture.
The Chemistry of Custard and Caramel
Proteins in the four whole eggs and four yolks coagulate gradually when heated in a 350-degree oven, trapping milk and cream liquids within a starch matrix from the white bread. Granulated sugar raises the coagulation temperature of these proteins, preventing curdling and promoting even browning. Meanwhile, the sauce ingredients undergo sugar caramelization, where heat drives off water molecules and induces complex thermal breakdown to yield deep amber compounds.Adaptations and Ingredient Dynamics
Swapping dried currants for fresh fruit introduces different moisture levels to the baking dish. Dried fruits absorb ambient custard liquid during the 15-minute resting period, whereas fresh fruits release water into the surrounding crumb and alter the final set. Buttering the bread slices creates a hydrophobic barrier that keeps the top layer from drying out prematurely during the bake.
