Description
Barefoot Contessa’s French toast bread pudding elevates breakfast with rich, custardy indulgence. Cinnamon-kissed challah soaks in creamy custard before baking to golden perfection, promising a luxurious morning treat you’ll savor to the last delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 challah loaf, sliced 2 cm thick
- 8 large eggs
- 1.2 liters (5 cups) half-and-half (or whole milk)
Flavoring Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Serving Ingredients:
- Icing sugar, for dusting
- Pure maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the baking environment by heating the oven to 350°F (175°C). Carefully arrange bread slices in two overlapping layers within a 9 × 13 inch (23 × 33 × 5 centimeters) baking dish, trimming edges to ensure a perfect fit.
- Create a luxurious custard mixture by whisking eggs, half-and-half, golden honey, fragrant orange zest, pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt until the blend becomes uniformly smooth and inviting.
- Gently pour the aromatic custard over the layered bread, using gentle pressure to ensure complete liquid absorption. Allow the bread to soak and saturate for approximately 10 minutes, enabling maximum flavor penetration.
- Establish a water bath technique by positioning the bread-filled baking dish inside a larger roasting pan. Carefully fill the outer pan with very hot water, reaching about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) up the sides of the inner dish.
- Shield the dish with aluminum foil, creating a loose tent and incorporating two small steam-releasing slits. Bake the covered dish for 45 minutes, allowing gentle, even heat distribution.
- Remove the foil covering to expose the developing dessert. Continue baking for an additional 40-45 minutes until the surface becomes beautifully puffed and the custard sets completely with a slight wobble.
- Remove from the oven and allow the pudding to rest and slightly cool. Delicately dust with powdered sugar and serve warm, accompanied by a drizzle of rich maple syrup for an indulgent finishing touch.
Notes
- Grab day-old challah to create a dreamy, custardy base that soaks up flavors like a sponge.
- Gently press bread pieces into the creamy mixture, ensuring every morsel gets perfectly saturated with rich goodness.
- Carefully tent aluminum foil above the pudding during baking to protect its delicate surface from direct heat.
- Peek inside the oven and check doneness by inserting a knife – a clean blade means your pudding has reached pudding perfection.
- Sprinkle powdered sugar and drizzle warm maple syrup just before serving for a decadent, mouthwatering finish that’ll make everyone swoon.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 13g