Homemade Blueberry Bread Pudding

Indulge yourself in a freshly-baked, oven-warm HUGE piece of this

 perfectly moist and sweet bread pudding exploding with colorful blueberries

It doesn't get much better than this!

Is it cold and rainy outside?? Here is the plan for this weekend. Sleep in, wear your pj's all day and bake a bread pudding you won't easily forget ... Once you manage to get off bed and make yourself a cup of coffee of course!
I'm sure that I'm not the only one that finds baking, followed by tasting my super creation, comforting and relaxing. The highlight of my weekend in some cases :)
Now take a look at this bread pudding that I made. Moist and rich, perfectly sweet, infused with cinnamon flavor and exploding with juicy blueberries.
Even if it's not cold or rainy in your part of the world, can you think of anything better to do now than enjoying this ?!? I thought so :)

I used to think that baking bread pudding needed some expert skill that I never knew about.
But oh no. There's nothing hard about bread pudding. Just follow the directions below ... and NO SKIPPING steps please!
All it takes is a good loaf of bread (you can use a one day-old bread too). Cut in cubes and let them sit for at least 15 minutes into an egg/milk/cinnamon/vanilla mixture. The soaking should be long enough for the bread to soften and absorb all the flavors and aromas of the other ingredients.
Then add the blueberries, and slowly bake covered in aluminum foil (with the exception of the last 15 minutes), so that the moisture stays inside and you end up with a soft and kinda gooey pudding (not dry and rubbery).

Once this baby is out of the oven, what will you do?!?

(A) Wait and let the pudding cool down. Refrigerate until completely set. You can always slice and warm up right before serving. And why not?!? Serve with a delicate creme anglaise. Absolutely fabulous!

OR

(B) Go for it as soon as it's ready. Cut and taste immediately. There's nothing better than oven HOT pudding!

Here is what your choice says about you:

If you chose (A): You are honest, reliable and trustworthy. You love perfection and find logical order in your everyday life.
You will end up with the most PERFECT slice of pudding you've ever tasted. All the waiting was well worth it!

If your choice is (B): You are loving, extrovert and a free spirit. You enjoy life to the fullest... But patience is not your forte.
You will end up with: an extra moist, super messy slice of pudding (it won't be fully set yet). And you will enjoy every single piece of it! Just be careful not to burn your tongue :)

So, how did I do?!? Maybe I should start writing baking/personality tests from now on. Haha :)
Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

YIELD

11 x 8 in (28 x 20 cm) pan - serving 6 to 8

1. • 1 loaf (1 lb, 450 gr) of white bread (French or Italian)
   • 3 eggs
   • 1 cup (200 gr) of brown sugar
   • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
   • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
   • 3 cups (700 ml) of milk (I used whole milk)
   • 10 oz (280 gr) of fresh blueberries

PREPARATION:

TIME: 20 minutes to prepare, 1 hour to bake.

1. Cut the bread into cubes, and place in your 11 x 8 in (28 x 20 cm) deep baking pan.

 2. Beat the eggs with the sugar until light and foamy.
Add the cinnamon, vanilla extract and milk. Beat some more.

3. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes.
If needed mix to make sure all the bread is soaked and covered with the milk/egg mixture.
Let it sit for at least 15 minutes so the bread absorbs the milk.

 Preheat the oven to 350º F (175º C). 
4. Fold in the blueberries, and spread them out as evenly as you can.

5. Cover with aluminum foil. 
And bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes or until the bread pudding is mostly set in the middle.
If you'd like nice and evenly cut slices, let it cool completely and refrigerate.
Best served warm! 
Refrigerate leftovers ... if any :)