My husband told me he would hate this, so I told him it is called Caramel Baked French Toast. That little name changed, and he fell in love at first bite. So, whatever you call it, this is amazing.
Caramel Bread Pudding / Caramel Baked French Toast
Makes 12 servings.
¾ of a Loaf stale Swiss Bread, or any heavy stale bread (8 to 10 cups cubed)
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Melted Butter
4 Eggs
1 3/4 Cups Milk
1 Cup Heavy Cream, or Half and Half
½ teaspoon Salt
3/4 Cup of the Caramel Sauce (Recipe below)
CARAMEL SAUCE
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Brown Sugar
½ Cup Butter
1 Cup Corn Syrup, white or dark
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Cut Bread into 1-inch cubes, you should have about 8-10 cups of bread. (Use 8 cups of bread if you like a moister texture.) Place bread into a large bowl. In another medium bowl, combine other ingredients EXCEPT caramel sauce. Stir until sugars are dissolved. Pour this over bread cubes, let sit while you make the caramel sauce.
To make Caramel Sauce, in a heavy medium saucepan, combine Sugars, Butter and Corn Syrup in pan. Cook over medium heat until ingredients are dissolved. Bring to a hard boil, remove from heat, and add Cream and Vanilla.
Stir the bread mixture and put it into a buttered or greased 13x9x2 pan. Pour half of the caramel sauce on top of the bread mixture. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes or until knife comes out clean in the center.
Serve warm or cold with the remaining caramel sauce drizzled on top.
I cut this recipe in fourths and baked it in a loaf pan. Great for two people. I have been known to keep the caramel sauce amount the same, LOL.
To make Gluten Free use Gluten Free Bread.
Can be made with Cinnamon Raisin Bread also.
To make Dairy Free use Oat Milk and Dairy Free butter. Check the Bread for Dairy ingredients.
Jan M. Olpin Dairy Keen