Salted Caramel Bread Pudding Recipe

Preheat and prepare dish

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish (or similar capacity) with the melted butter and set aside.

Cut or tear the day-old brioche into roughly 1-inch cubes so they absorb the custard evenly. Place cubes in a large mixing bowl.

Warm milk and cream

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream. Heat until just steaming and small bubbles form at the edges (do not boil), about 4–6 minutes.

Whisk eggs and sugar

In a large bowl, whisk together 4 large eggs and 1 cup granulated sugar until smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Temper eggs

Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg-sugar mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Continue adding the milk in a thin stream while whisking until fully incorporated.

Finish custard

Add the remaining milk mixture to the eggs, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp fine sea salt. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits.

In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons granulated sugar. Swirl the pan occasionally (do not stir aggressively) until the sugar melts and turns an amber color, about 4–6 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in 2 tbsp unsalted butter until melted, then whisk in 3 tbsp heavy cream until smooth. Let cool for 1–2 minutes, then stir in 1 tsp flaky sea salt. Allow to cool slightly before using so it thickens a bit.

Spread half of the cubed bread in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the 3 oz dark chocolate evenly over the bread layer.

Drizzle half of the quick caramel swirl over the chocolate and bread (reserve the rest for topping). Add the remaining bread cubes, pressing down gently to fit.

Pour the strained custard evenly over the bread, pressing down with a spatula so the bread soaks up the liquid. Let the assembled dish sit for 20–30 minutes at room temperature so the bread fully absorbs the custard. If short on time, cover and chill for 10 minutes to help absorption.

Place the baking dish in a larger roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with hot water until it comes halfway up the sides of the baking dish (bain-marie). This ensures even, custardy baking.

Bake on the middle rack at 350°F (175°C) for 35–45 minutes, or until the top is puffed and golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

Remove from oven and carefully lift the baking dish out of the water bath. Immediately drizzle the reserved quick caramel over the warm pudding and sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Let rest for 15–20 minutes; pudding will settle and finish setting.

To make extra sauce for serving: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 cup granulated sugar, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon until it liquefies and turns a deep amber color. Add 6 tbsp unsalted butter and whisk until melted and combined (mixture will bubble vigorously). Slowly pour in 1 cup heavy cream while whisking; mixture will bubble again. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tsp fine sea salt. Cool for 10 minutes; transfer to a jar. Sprinkle with 1 tsp flaky sea salt when serving if desired.

Serve warm spooned over slices of bread pudding and garnish with additional flaky sea salt to taste.