Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Raisins

Preheat oven to 350℉.
Cut bread into 1" – 1 ½" cubes and set them on a baking sheet. Bake in the center of preheated oven for 5 minutes.
1 lb (450g) loaf of bread
Remove bread cubes from oven, gently stir, then return to oven until bread feels firm and dry, but not browned (about 5 minutes more). Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, soak raisins in dark rum or bourbon (or water). Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 1 minute. Set aside, covered, to allow the raisins to continue to absorb the liquid.
½ cup raisins
3 Tbsp dark rum, or bourbon whiskey
In a very large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt until homogenous.
4 eggs + 2 egg yolks
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
¾ tsp kosher salt
Whisk in heavy cream, whole milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted butter until smooth.
1 ½ cup heavy cream
2 ½ cups whole milk
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Place the cubed, dried bread into the bowl with the custard mixture. Using a rubber spatula or large spoon, gently press the bread into the custard, stirring carefully (so as not to break up the bread into mush). Allow the bread mixture to sit until the custard has been absorbed (about 10 minutes).
In the meantime, grease a 9”x9” (or 8”x10”) baking dish with melted butter.
Pour half of the bread mixture into your baking dish, followed by ⅔ of the raisins. Empty the remaining bread mixture on top, followed by the remaining ⅓ of the raisins. Gently press the mixture into the dish. Allow to sit for another 5 minutes.
Bake in the centre of preheated (350℉) oven until puffed up and golden brown on top (about 45 to 55 minutes).
Note: Even when done, the bread pudding may still jiggle slightly in the centre. If unsure, I recommend erring on the side of caution as undercooked bread pudding can turn out soggy.
Remove the bread pudding from the oven and allow it to cool, at room temperature, for at least 20 minutes before serving. While cooling, the bread pudding will firm up and collapse slightly back down into the dish — this is totally normal.
Pro tip: For optimal texture and flavor, I prefer letting my bread pudding rest for as long as possible — even overnight in the fridge — before serving!
Once cooled to room temperature, cover any remaining bread pudding with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator.

In a saucepan, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt until well combined.
2 eggs + 2 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
Pour in heavy cream and milk, and whisk until smooth.
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
Set the saucepan over medium heat. Cook mixture, stirring constantly (with a whisk or wooden spoon), until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. (It should read about 170℉ on a thermometer.)
Remove the sauce from the heat and swirl in butter.
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Stir in vanilla, then rum or bourbon (or additional vanilla).
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp dark rum, or bourbon whiskey
Allow the sauce to cool for at least 10 minutes. (Note: the custard sauce will thicken as it cools.)
Pro tip: If you are worried about lumps in the custard sauce, sieve the sauce through a wire strainer.
To store, pour the sauce into a bowl or deli container and cover with a piece of plastic wrap that makes direct contact with the surface of the sauce (to prevent a skin from forming). Cool to room temperature before storing in the refrigerator.