Thread by @lifesafeast

Timeline cleanser for an autumn Sunday afternoon.

Pudding au Pain

American bread pudding is cubes of bread with custard poured over the cubes then baked. French pudding purées the cubes of bread together with the custard ingredients making a smooth batter, creating a

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dense, chewy, pudding-like loaf cake. Raisins add sweetness, a touch of orange zest & cinnamon for flavor, and a lightly bitter caramel coating for an intriguing touch.

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INGREDIENTS

3.5 ounces (100 grams) raisins, dark or blond
7 ounces (200 grams) stale bread, cubed
2 cups (500 ml or ½ litre) milk, whole or low fat
¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Finely grated zest of one orange, preferably untreated

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¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla

INGREDIENTS caramel

10 sugar cubes (2 ounces/60 grams sugar)
2 tablespoons water
Couple drops lemon juice

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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Have ready a regular loaf pan.

Rinse the raisins & place in a small bowl; cover with hot water & allow to soak for 15 minutes to plump. Drain & set aside.

While the raisins are plumping, cube the stale bread (smaller is better but

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about an inch square is fine) and place in a large mixing heatproof or Pyrex mixing bowl.

Bring the milk to the boil in a small saucepan & immediately pour the hot milk over the bread cubes. Allow the bread to soak up all of the milk, tossing & pressing the cubes

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down into the hot milk regularly. This should take several minutes.

Once the bread has soaked up all of the hot milk & is softened, either run it though a food mill or purée it using an emulsion mixer or robot until fairly smooth.

Return it to the mixing bowl & whisk

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or stir in the sugar, the lightly beaten eggs, the plumped and drained raisins, the finely grated orange zest, the ground cinnamon & vanilla. Stir to blend well.

Place the sugar cubes or sugar, the water & a few drops lemon juice into the loaf pan. Place the loaf pan

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over medium-low heat & cook very carefully. The sugar will melt & the mixture will bubble; allow to cook gently, shifting the pan around and back & forth gently, until it turns into a deep golden/light brown caramel. This can take from 5 to 10 minutes but watch very very

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carefully for as soon as the sugar begins to turn into a caramel (as soon as it turns golden brown) it cooks very quickly and can burn easily.

Remove the loaf pan from the heat & carefully tilt the pan back & forth so the caramel evenly coats the bottom of the pan and

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goes a little way up the sides.

Immediately pour the pudding batter into the loaf pan on top of the caramel and smooth.

Bake for one hour in the preheated oven until puffed and golden.

Remove the loaf pan from the oven & allow to cool just until the pan can be

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handled (the pudding should no longer be hot but should still be warm). Run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen the pudding then place a serving platter upside down on top of the loaf pan. Quickly invert the platter & the pan & lift the loaf pan off of the pudding.

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The Bread Pudding is delicious eaten warm or at room temperature, plain, with yogurt, whipped cream or ice cream. We love it plain with a cup of coffee.

#IsolationBaking

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Do not forget to share a photo of your bread pudding (or any of my recipes that you make) and tag me and either #IsolationBaking or #OrangeAppeal