Caramel Apple Bread Pudding
- Prep Time: start ahead!
- Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound loaf bread cut into 3/4 inch cubes, dried; challah, brioche, or a store bakery large Italian loaf all work (see note)
- 5 apples, peeled, 1 grated on large holes of grater, 4 cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 3 tablespoons butter plus a little additional to coat pan
- 1/3 cup brown or dark brown sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves (optional)
- 2 cups cream
- 2 cups milk
- 1 – 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (to top)
Instructions
Butter a large baking dish, 8×11″ or 9×13″
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and place a pan of water on the bottom shelf.
Prepare apples, place in a medium-sized saucepan with the 3 tablespoons butter. Using medium-high heat, cook the apples, lidded, for about 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Turn temperature to medium, remove lid, and cook, stirring often until a knife penetrates any larger pieces easily with little resistance. Add the brown sugar, stir to dissolve, and remove apples from heat. Allow to cool while preparing the custard.
In a medium-sized bowl, prepare the custard. Add eggs and whisk, then add the sugar, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves and whisk well. Whisk in the cream, then the milk.
Place the bread (along with any crumbs) into a large bowl, pour the custard over, and gently fold the breadcrumbs once to coat. Allow to sit for 15 minutes. Gently press down on the bread once or twice during this period. Layer about two-thirds of the bread mixture in the bottom of prepared baking pan.
Dollop the apples over and drizzle any remaining apple/butter/brown sugar juices evenly over the top. (If the juices have hardened, gently reheat. Some may not come out of the pan; that’s ok.) Add the remaining bread mixture over the top along with any liquid from soaking; try to get good coverage. Perfection isn’t necessary; the bread will expand as it bakes.
Sprinkle the top with sugar. Bake, covered with foil, for thirty minutes. Remove (do not discard foil) and continue to bake, thirty to fifty minutes longer, until the top is golden brown and the custard is set. A knife inserted two inches from the center should come out clean; a little clear moisture is ok. If while baking, the edges become darker than the center, cover with strips of foil torn from the original sheet.
Preparing the Bread:
If there is a safe place to do so, bread cubes may be dried in the open air for 8 hours or up to two to three days. If not, dry in the oven on a large sheet tray (or two) at 300 degrees F. for 20 to 30 minutes, redistributing every 10 minutes. Do not allow to brown. The oven may be turned off and the door cracked when nearly finished, and the cubes allowed to sit until dry.