Bread Pudding | Caramel Bread Pudding

Making the bread pudding mixture

1. Chop the 4 slices of sandwich bread into small cubes. The smaller the better as then they can be easily mashed.
2. In a pan, take the milk. Add sugar and cornstarch.
3. Keep the pan on a low heat and stir so that the sugar dissolves.
4. Heat the milk on a low flame. No need to boil the milk.
5. Once the milk has become hot, remove the pan from the stovetop and place it on the kitchen countertop. Add the bread cubes to the milk.
6. Mash very well with a masher or spatula. The bread crumbs need to be mashed finely. If not, then small pieces of bread will be felt in the pudding.
7. Add vanilla extract and stir to mix it evenly. Keep this mashed bread and milk mixture aside.

Make caramel sauce

1. In another pan take 2 to 2.5 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. You can use any pan as long as the pudding mixture fits into it keeping about ½ to 1 inch space from the top.
2. Now place this pan on stovetop and begin to melt the sugar.
3. Using a spoon stir this mixture while the sugar is melting.
4. A stage will come when you will see lots of big bubbles in the sugar solution. Keep on stirring so that the sugar does not start burning from the edges.
5. Then the solution will start turning brown.
6. Keep on stirring to get an even color and caramelization.
7. When the color turns to a golden with small bubbles appearing, the caramel is ready.
8. Now turn off the heat or flame first. Then with the help of tongs or gloves, lift the pan and quickly start tilting and moving the pan, so that the caramel gets coated evenly on all sides. Be careful as the caramel is very hot and the pan too. You have to be quick as once the caramel starts cooling, it sets.
9. Let the caramel cool down and set in the pan.
10. Now in the pan containing the caramel sauce, transfer the mashed bread and milk mixture.
11. Cover with an aluminium foil and poke holes with a tooth pick in the foil.

Steaming in an electric cooker - option 1

1. Simmer about 3 cups water in the cooker. Start heating the water when you are making the caramel.
2. When the water becomes hot, place the pudding pan in the steamer pan. Cover with the cooker's lid.
3. Steam for 30 minutes, till the caramel bread pudding is set.

Steaming in a pan on the stovetop - option 2

1. Boil 3 cups or required amount of water in a broad pan in which the pudding pan can easily fit. The amount of water to be added depends on the size of the pan.
2. Place the pudding pan carefully in the broad pan. Cover with a lid.
3. Steam on a medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes till the caramel bread pudding is set.

steaming in a stovetop pressure cooker - option 3

1. Add 3 cups water or as needed in a pressure cooker. Note that the amount of water to be added depends on the size of the cooker. A large cooker will need more water and vice versa.
2. The water should touch about 1 to 1.5 inches above from the bottom of the pudding pan.First heat water in the cooker. Then place the pudding pan in it, carefully.
3. Remove the vent weight/whistle from the cooker's lid. Cover and seal the cooker tightly with its lid.
4. Steam the pudding on medium heat in the pressure cooker for 20 to 25 minutes till its set.

Serving caramel bread pudding

1. If you remove the bread pudding when it becomes warm, you won't be able to get a neat and firm slice, but the pudding with its soft gooey texture taste yum. 
2. To get neat slices, you will have to refrigerate the bread pudding for a couple of hours and then unmold. You can even serve this pudding once it cools at room temperature.
3. Slice and serve caramel bread pudding once its refrigerated. You can top the pudding with caramel sauce or chocolate sauce if you like.