Pane Recipe

Prepare bread

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x9-inch (or similar 8x8/2-quart) baking dish with butter. Tear or cube about 6 cups of slightly stale country bread into roughly 1-inch pieces and place them evenly in the prepared dish.

Make custard

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 3 large eggs, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth and the sugar is dissolved.

Soak bread

Pour the custard evenly over the bread cubes, pressing gently with a spatula so the bread absorbs the liquid. Let sit for 10 minutes to soak; if bread is very stale, you can let it rest up to 20 minutes.

Assemble fruit & chocolate

After the bread has absorbed some custard, tuck the sliced bananas and raisins evenly through the pudding, distributing them so each portion will have fruit. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons chocolate chips or chopped chocolate evenly over and lightly fold once to distribute; avoid overmixing to keep some banana slices intact.

Dot with butter and top

Dot the surface with 2 tablespoons melted butter and lightly sprinkle 1 tablespoon granulated sugar over the top to encourage a lightly caramelized surface.

Bake

Place the baking dish on a middle rack and bake in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 35–45 minutes, until the custard is set around the edges and still slightly jiggly in the center (it will continue to set as it cools). If the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Rest

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes so the custard finishes setting and flavors meld.

Spoon warm banana bread pudding into bowls or onto plates and serve each portion with a scoop of vanilla gelato (approx. 1 scoop per person). For a finishing touch, optionally drizzle a little warmed caramel or sprinkle extra chocolate, and serve immediately while warm.