Julia Turshen’s Angel Food Bread Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

Author Notes: Every Thursday morning my wife, Grace, and I wake up before the sun comes out and drive half an hour to a church we are not members of. We roll up our sleeves (…more) —Julia Turshen

Serves 20

Angel Food Bread Pudding

• Cooking spray
• 1pound [453 g] white or whole-wheat sandwich bread, torn or cut into bite-size pieces
• 1pound [453 g] cinnamon-raisin sandwich bread, torn or cut into bite-size pieces
• 114-oz [397-g] can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2cup [100 g] granulated sugar
• 4cups [1 L] whole milk
• 1 1/2tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2teaspoons kosher salt
• 1cup [240 ml] heavy cream
• 1tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 12large eggs
• Butterscotch Sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F [200°C]. Spray the bottoms and sides of a 12-by-18-inch [30-by- 46-cm] roasting pan (whatever you would roast a turkey in—a disposable aluminum pan is totally fine) with cooking spray.
2. Place the bread in the roasting pan. Place the sweetened condensed milk, sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt in a large pot set over high heat. Warm the mixture, stirring now and then to dissolve the sugar, until bubbles form at the edge and then turn off the heat.
3. Place the cinnamon in a very large bowl with half the cream and whisk well to form a paste. Add the rest of the cream and whisk well to dissolve the paste, then crack all of the eggs into the bowl and whisk well to combine (making the cinnamon paste helps it incorporate evenly). Ladle in about 1 cup [240 ml] of the hot milk mixture and whisk well to combine. Repeat the process a few more times to gently warm up the eggs. Add whatever remains of the hot milk mixture to the eggs and whisk well.
4. Pour the custard over the bread and stir well to combine (I use my hands to do this). Press the bread pieces down to make sure they’re completely submerged in the custard. Bake the bread pudding until golden brown, set throughout (test by jiggling the pan), and slightly puffed, about 40 minutes. Serve warm with the Butterscotch Sauce drizzled on top.

Butterscotch Sauce

• 1stick [8 Tbsp] unsalted butter
• 1cup [200 g] packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2cups 360 ml] heavy cream
• 2teaspoons kosher salt
• 1tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Place the butter, brown sugar, cream, and salt in a medium saucepan set over high heat. Once it comes to a boil, decrease the heat and simmer, stirring now and then, until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
2. Serve warm. You can also cool it to room temperature, store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week, and then reheat in a saucepan set over low heat until warm. Makes about 2 cups [480 ML].