| Level: | Advanced |
| Total: | 9 hr 45 min |
| Prep: | 45 min |
| Inactive: | 5 hr |
| Cook: | 4 hr |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon dried orange peel
- 15 whole cloves
- 15 whole peppercorns
- 1/2 ounce crystallized ginger, chopped
- 5 cups half-and-half, divided
- 3 large whole eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 ounces spiced rum
- 1 (10-inch) stale French boule
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
Instructions
- Place the cinnamon, nutmeg, dried orange peel, cloves, peppercorns, and ginger into 3 cups of half-and-half in a microwavable container and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Check the temperature of the mixture and microwave in 30 second increments until it reaches 180 degrees F. Cover and steep 15 minutes.
- Place the eggs and yolks in a blender with an 8-cup carafe. Blend on the lowest speed for 30 seconds. Raise the speed to quarter power and slowly add the sugars and blend until thickened slightly, about 1 minute. Add the remaining 2 cups half-and-half. With the machine still running, pour in the spiced half-and-half through a small hand strainer and add the rum. Use immediately, or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 72 hours.
- Preheat the oven on the lowest (or warm) setting.
- Cut a 7-inch round disk off the top of the boule using a long bread knife or serrated slicer. Tear the disk into pieces and scatter in a large roasting pan. Cut all the way around the inside of the boule just inside the outer wall. Cut downward and across the interior of the bread, first in one direction, then 90 degrees to it to create a grid, the way you would cube mango flesh to remove it from the skin. Remove the plugs of bread and tear into hunks about the size of an egg. Add to the roasting pan and bake until bread is dry, 1/2 to 2 hours.
- Sprinkle the fruit over the bread, pour in the custard, and press the bread to submerge all the pieces. Cover and soak for 2 hours at room temperature or for up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Pour the melted butter into a spray bottle and spritz the inside of the bread shell. Be sure to cover the bottom with a thin layer to prevent the custard from soaking through. Place the bread shell in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and place in the oven to toast the interior for 30 minutes.
- Remove the bread shell from the oven and transfer the soaked bread mixture into the shell. Bake until the bread pudding souffles and reaches an internal temperature of 165 to 170 degrees F, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove and cool 30 minutes before slicing or scooping and serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 357 |
| Total Fat | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 39 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 33 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Cholesterol | 160 mg |
| Sodium | 102 mg |
Reviews
I live in Seattle and I’m having a super difficult time finding a round or a boule that’s not savory, such as sourdough, rosemary, or olive. Could any one of you fine gourmands provide me with a feasible alternative?
As much as I put my faith in Alton Brow science, I must say I was not impressed. I thought the flavors more subdued than I expected. I wanted to make this for a party so I tried it out before hand. Than I made it two more times trying to up the flavor factor. I even tried reducing the spiced dairy hoping to intensify the flavor. I varied the amount of steeping time, added extra spices, but the results were still not what I was hoping for. I’m not saying it was bad, just not what I expected.
Good flavor. I will increase some of the spices next time it could even go a bit more spicy. I did bake in bread bowl and it looked beautiful but the outside tasted like bread and the inside was awesome bread pudding. Will make again.
My roommate bought a loaf of French bread almost a week ago, and completely forgot about it. This was the best thing that could have happened to that bread. I’m glad I got to try out this recipe…instead of a cake pan or regular baking dish, I did mine in my dutch oven. I figure this retained the surface area that it would have had if I had cooked it in the boulle-bowl.
I have made this recipe a few times now, and most recently I have made a version of it safe for my wife to eat. She can’t have Gluten or Dairy… Yeah, I know right?! Anyway even with those terrible restrictions (a loaf of gluten free bread, and canned coconut milk in place of the beautiful bread suggested and half-n-half) this recipe turns out beyond acceptable.
I didn’t have a lot of the spices, so I made due with what I had and used challah instead of the French loaf, but it was awesome! Very flavorful and moist. I found that in a 9×13 baking dish, it needed between 30 and 45 mins at 325.
Amazing flavors! The anise and orange really make this an outstanding bread pudding. I have tried it baked in the boule and in baking dishes and prefer it in a dish to the bread bowl, by far. The bread bowl is ideal if you like a drier bread pudding, but if you like a creamy, moist pudding that you eat with a spoon, just bake it in a dish.
I prefer strongly spiced dishes, so I increase the spices, and serve with a warm rum sauce.
I prefer strongly spiced dishes, so I increase the spices, and serve with a warm rum sauce.
This is the BEST bread pudding I have ever eaten.
I used a challah loaf instead of a boule and baked it in a baking dish, and the bread pudding still was absolutely excellent.
I think this recipe lends itself to a great amount of experimenting with different fruits or other ingredients, and I plan to do so in the future!
Absolutely an unbelieveable bread pudding!!! You HAVE to make this!!