Karen's Bread Pudding

I think that Bread Pudding is one of my favorite desserts. I always liked it as a child when my momma would make it for us during the winter time. Momma was not what you would call a good cook. She really enjoy sweets   like cake and cookies. She would make us ginger bread with whipped cream or lemon sauce. Whenever I eat these foods I think of my momma.

It was about 7 years ago I went to a Convention in King of Prussia PA. in the Raddisson Hotel and I ate the best Bread Pudding I ever had.  It was perfect it was soft and sweet and it had just enough raisins.  I should have went in the Kitchen and asked the chef how did he come up with the recipe but I didn't.  So since then I have been trying to get that same texture and taste but so far to no avail.

The formula I did come up with that had the taste but not quite the texture but close was this:

I had day old french bread.I didn't cut it in squares but I put it in a blender and pulsed it a few times, then on the stove I made the same custard I would make for banana pudding which is 1 cup of sugar, 4 egg yokes and vanilla, pinch of salt, 1 1/2 cup of heavy cream with a little flour about 1.3 cup then I in a double boiler stirred until thickened and poured it into the backing dish I let it all sink in and then I also added dried cranberries and chopped pecans, then I baked it in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes until it was brown on top and knife inserted came out clean, This dessert is best eaten warm with light cream, whipped cream or rum sauce.

2018 NO KNEAD DUTCH OVEN CRUSTY BREAD

This is truly the best crust bread I have ever made.  It is so easy and simple that anyone will have success.  As a matter of fact you can put anything you want to it.  You can make it with raisins, cranberries, nuts flax seed etc.  It is simply wonderful to serve when company comes.  so here is the Recipe:

3 cups of all purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. dry active yeast

1 cup of room temp. water.

anything else you want to incorporate.

With a wooden spoon mix all ingredients well, it should be very sticky. Take a good amount of flour in your hands this will allow you to handle the bread dough better and shape it into a ball.  You will the shape into a ball and put it into your dutch oven or a glass or metal bowl cover then let it rise for 12 to 18 hours.

After the bread has set for at least 12 hours place covered into a 450 degree oven for 30  minutes then remove from oven uncover  score the bread I usually put an X on the top of the bread. then put back into the oven until golden brown, leave in until it is the type of brown that you like. This usually takes another 30 minutes.

I usually have my bread on a cookie sheet and with parchment paper underneath this was it brown on all sides.  After you let the bread cool slice into thin slices and eat with cream cheese, butter.  I made one bread with cranberries and pecans and it was very good.  I am going to try Thyme and  black olives, then I might even make cinnamon bread that I can spread my apple butter on,

This is how the bread looks after you mike all the ingredients up and put into the dutch oven

 it looks when you remove it from the oven this is the way.  So this bread is open to so many different ways , it is truly the easiest bread I have made so far.  If you can think of different flavors write me a comment or let me know how your bread turns out.