Easy Creamy Bread and Apple Pudding With Homemade Caramel Sauce

If you have got way too much bread lying around, then it is time for a bread pudding. There are a thousand and one versions out there, but they all basically come down to the same idea, the base is bread and you use a mix of milk and eggs to bind everything together into something close to a pudding.

In this case, I had a big stack of sandwich bread that I had bought for another recipe, so I figured, why not a bread pudding. Since it is sandwich bread, you know its going to dissolve on the liquid, but thats good because it will make a better denser pudding. If you are using a different kind of bread, or one with a better texture, the better even soaked will still have some texture, but for plain sandwich bread it just dissolves.

Bread pudding can also get a little boring if you do not add anything to it, and the classic move is to throw in apple or raisins. This time I went with apple inside and caramel on the outside, and I think the result speaks for itself. I probably did not toast the caramel quite enough, but sometimes it is nice to land somewhere between a caramel and a caramelized sugar syrup. So, let us get to the recipe!

Easy Creamy Bread and Apple Pudding With Homemade Caramel Sauce

Servings: 16
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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IF you got a pile of stale bread looking at you then this mission is for you! If you choose to accept it, just grab the bread, yes like that firmly and make yourself a bread pudding! ;D

Ingredients

White Bread – 300g
Apples – 2
Milk – 750ml (Semi-skimmed)
Sugar – 150g
Eggs – 4
Lemon – 1 Peel
Salt – A pinch
Water – 60ml (For the caramel)
Sugar – 150g (For the caramel)

Directions

Finely chop or crumble all the bread, yes, since it’s sliced bread with the crust and all, chop the apples and mix them with the bread.
Bring the milk to a medium heat with the sugar and lemon peel, do not let it boil, remove from the heat when it’s almost boiling.
Start the caramel in a frying pan, add 60ml of water and 150g of sugar, let it caramelize until the syrup changes color to amber (the caramel will finish cooking on the mold).

When the caramel is ready, pour it into a castle-shaped mold lined with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt.
Now slowly pour the flavored milk into the whisked eggs, stirring constantly, you do this to heat the eggs gradually.

Now remove the lemon peel from the milk and pour the egg and milk mixture back into the pan with the remaining hot milk, again in a thin stream, stirring constantly, no need to return to the heat.

Pour the egg and milk mixture over the crumbled bread and apples, mix, and let it soak well for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF).

Pour the bread, milk, and egg mixture into the mold, add hot water to the baking pan, and then place the mold inside the baking pan with water to create a water bath. Bake covered for about 25 minutes, or until very creamy.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Then refrigerate overnight to set completely. The next day, you can unmold it. Enjoy!

Notes & Tips: If you want to make the same recipe with regular bread or bakery style sandwich bread, you will need to add more milk, about 1 liter, since those breads tend to be denser and drier than the commercial sliced kind.

Let the pudding cool completely before unmolding, this really matters, while it is still warm it is much softer, so let it cool, refrigerate it, and only then think about turning it out.

A water bath is your best friend with any pudding, no matter if it is a bread pudding or not, if you want a creamy, moist final result you have to bake it in a water bath. If your pan is old or has a removable bottom, wrap the outside in a layer of aluminum foil to protect it from the water.

You can also use store bought caramel and add it to the pan before pouring in the bread mixture.

Do not skip the 30 minute soak, it is what gives the pudding its dense, custardy texture instead of a dry, crumbly one.

Keep an eye on the caramel once it starts to color, it goes from amber to burnt very quickly, especially on a hot stove.

Test doneness with a gentle jiggle in the center rather than a toothpick, bread pudding should still wobble slightly when it comes out of the oven, it firms up as it cools and chills.

This recipe for Easy Creamy Bread and Apple Pudding With Homemade Caramel Sauce was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Pudim Cremoso de Pão de Forma com Caramelo Caseiro foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.