Start by arranging the bread cubes in a baking pan. Don’t cramp them in, but they need to be pretty snug. In a mixing bowl, crack the eggs, and whisk them. Add the sugar, pour in the milk, and the vanilla extract…

Pour half of the mixture into the baking pan, and make sure the bread cubes are nicely saturated. Put the baking pan into a 325 degrees Fahrenheit oven, for about 60-70 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the heavy cream to the rest of the mixture, and double-boil it.

Sourdough bread pudding vanilla custard sauce

To do this, take a medium saucepan, and bring about 2-3 cups of water to a boil, and bring it down to a simmer. Keep the bowl containing the mixture on top of the saucepan, and bring the mixture to a very gentle boil. This is done to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Do this until the sauce thickens slightly.

Then remove from fire, and let it cool.

Take the baking pan out of the oven, and with a serving spoon, dish up a nice helping onto a plate. You will notice how the “soft” part of the bread is not soggy. The crust on top is a great balance with the softness of the bread.

Either pour or spoon out some of the custard sauce on top of each serving…and enjoy!