Try using sweetened condensed milk for the sauce. I have had rave reviews using this!

The old Movenpick about 30 years ago made the very best bread pudding to be had anywhere. The chef said it was made not with milk, but with half-and-half, and French bread. He said it was rich but light because of those two ingredients.

I used to eat one there, and take one to go ...

You're right... it's perfect!

Having made this dessert at Movenpick, may I please offer the following tweaks to your awesome dessert...

Cut french bread on the bias, lay out on a baking tray, brush with butter, then a medium layer of sugar and cinnamon. Bake until golden brown.
Heat your 35% cream, with preferably Tahitian vanilla bean scrapings, ad your eggs, using 12 yolks / 1 quart of cream.then add the bread pieces, until saturated, (both don't let them fall apart:))

Transfer the soaked pieces into your baking dish. Layer the pieces with, say, mixed fruit.

Pour the remaining cream liquid over the assemblage.

That's it!

I would recommend baking it in a bain marie (water bath)
for even temperature at 350°F.

Served with cold Creme Anglaise, prepared in advance :)

Top with fresh mint :)

Had a bread pudding at an old hotel in Washington state that was made with toasted egg bread and a rum sauce. I'll NEVER forget it... Best I've ever had in my, almost 80, years. This had raisins and was baked in a water bath to keep it moist thru the bake...

Very tasty. Thanks for the recipe!

I add chopped apples and raisins to my bread pudding. Soooo delicious! I also use soft whole wheat sandwich bread - (still tastes great and makes it a lit healthier)! :)

One of our local cafes had apple/raisin bread pudding with caramel sauce... very good!

I have made this using a 9x13-inch pan, and instead of using bread I have used old cinnamon rolls and adding a little more of the cinnamon. Eating this warm is awesome, adding cool whip is excellent. Makes your home smell right good!

I made this bread pudding with cinnamon raisin bread. AMAZING!!

Make it easy on yourself, put all of the ingredients in your blender and BUZZZZZ, pour it on your bread, and Raisens, (if you like it a bit sweeter), and increase your cinnamon to about a teaspoon, with more on top. Save oven time by warming it up in the microwave.

Try spreading strawberry jelly, jam, or perserves over hot pudding! For those of you who enjoy your pudding cold, put plastic wrap over the top of the pan as soon as it has cool enough not to melt the plastic but before you place pudding into the refregorater. This will give it a more creamy taste after it because cold!

Instead of using bread try using day-old donuts. Different types of bread can be used even buns! You can also drop by the spoonful, your favorite pie filling after you have all the dish finished and ready for the oven. Try adding 1/2 cup of cocoa powder for that chocolate tooth I know alot of people have.

Rum extract and raisins are a nice holiday treat when added. Add by the spoonfull some of your pumpkin pie filling for a Thanksgiving treat! Add some apples, walnuts, and raisins for fall weather enjoyment! Even adding in some candied nuts is a tasty treat.

At Christmas try serving bread pudding hot topped with some peppermint icecream!

In the summer add you favorite fresh fruit, apples, bananas, peaches, plums,...etc... You can even try adding your favorite pudding mixes by the spoonfull to mix things up! Custard dropped by the spoonfull with caramel icecream topping drizzled over the top before baking makes a nice end to a good meal anytime! Don't be afraid to mix and match your favorite things with bread pudding!

Enjoy these tips and happy eating and cooking!

I've always loved the lemon sauce Cunningham's in Louisville, Ky serves on their bread pudding. This is one of my favorites

This was an AWESOME recipe and I had never made bread pudding!! I did use the almond flavoring and it IS recommended to do!! The next time, I will add raisins. I also found a great recipe for a sauce to use: 1 cup white sugar, 4 tbsp. white flour and 1/4 tsp. of salt. Mix together and then slowly add 3 cups of boiling water. Place on low heat and simmer until thick and then add 4 tbsp. butter and 2 tsp. of vanilla. Pour over the top of pudding and ENJOY! :)

My Grandmother used to make a sauce to go over the bread pudding, anyone have any idea of what this would be?

I think it has been served with "Hard Sauce" A creamy white sauce with liquor in it?

I should have looked this up first! Hard sauce is butter, confectioners' sugar and Rum. My mom was born in Scotland and I remember her making hard sauce when I was a kid. Also served with Fig pudding.

Lisa, when we had Bread Pudding for school lunches, it was always served with a clear lemon sauce.

We live KY, in the middle of Bourbon country and we eat our bread pudding with a warm bourbon caramel butter sauce and it's amazing!! I have had chocolate bread pudding and fruit flavor ones and nothing beats this bourbon sauce.

I make a lemon sauce that is much like caramel. You mix butter, sugar and cream and a pinch of salt and when that is thick, you add fresh lemon juice and zest. It is divine!

If I want a lemon sauce, I just microwave a lemon pudding cup and pour it on the bread pudding.

The sauce that My mother put on her bread pudding came from Norway. She called it a lemon sauce. Unfortunately I was away when she passed and my sisters did not save her recipes but what I have found is most of her recipes are already here on this website so search for lemon sauce and if it's a sweet lemony thickened sauce that's what she put on with the bread pudding. She also put raisins in her bread pudding.

I made this bread pudding the other day. It tasted better to me cold, the day after I made it. When it was freshly warm, it didn't have enough flavor to it.

I made this recipe with stale chocolate chip brioche, added 1/4 tsp. of maple extract along with the vanilla and almond extracts and sprinkled the top with granulated maple sugar. YUM!