Super Simple Brioche Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 4 + slices of brioche, each 1″ thick (go on the generous side of that 1″); use challah, if you can’t find brioche – or use French bread if you can’t find either brioche or challah- and add a little more sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1/3 c sugar
• 2 c milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• a pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
• a bit of orange zest (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter an 8″x8″ glass dish.  Place the brioche slices in the dish, cutting them so they fit or adding a bit more, if necessary.  Then pop the brioche slices into the oven for about 10 minutes (you’re basically drying the slices out a little bit).  While the bread is in the oven, lightly whisk the eggs, then add the sugar, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon (and whisk again until it’s all well incorporated.  Remove the bread from the oven, cool slightly, then pour the egg mixture over the bread, being sure that all the bread is getting soaked.

Now let the bread and egg mixture sit at room temperature – for at least 15 minutes – or up to an hour.  The less time this soaks, the more likely you are to have some spots of just custard, since the liquid won’t have time to fully soak into the bread – but it will still be delicious.

Then bake for 45 minutes.  Or you can refrigerate the mixture (covered) for a day, bring it back to room temperature, and then bake it.  Let cool slightly before serving but serve warm.

To reheat, cut into individual pieces, cover with a moist paper towel and put in the microwave. Or cut into pieces and fry like French Toast on a hot buttered skillet and serve with a bit of maple syrup.