Peach Buttermilk Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Peach Buttermilk Bread Pudding.  Could there be a more perfect comfort food?  I think not.  It is nearly impossible to compete with my husband’s very favorite bread pudding, but this comes pretty close.  Bread pudding has always been one of his favorites.  Every so often I make something that’s just for him.

We are working from home together now and it’s crazy how fun it can be to live and work together.  The first few days after the kids went back to school, we felt a bit giddy.  We can work UNINTERRUPTED.  We even watched a movie UNINTERRUPTED for the first time in forever.  We ate lunch, again UNINTERRUPTED.  It’s been kind of great.  Then we walk down to the bus stop in the afternoon and get the kids.  It’s nice settling into a new normal.  You know?  I think I like it.

And I think my husband likes it too.  I’m excited to see where things go for us the next year or so.  Hopefully you’ll come along for the journey.  We’re essentially starting over and deciding to really give our freelance work a chance.  Long term unemployment has given us a little bit of confidence, funny enough.  It’s scary, but I’m glad we’re taking that leap together. Plus, the bonus of us working together is that there is always something tasty to eat or drink.  Not a bad perk!

I was having a hard time getting to sleep the other night, so I got on Pinterest, like you do.  And I started searching for recipes using peaches and buttermilk – two things I have on hand at the moment.  I ended up finding a recipe for buttermilk bread pudding with blueberries and decided to modify it a bit and use fresh peaches instead.

Ah, peaches.  My very favorite fruit.  Someday I will have my own peach orchard with a dozen different kinds of peaches.  That’s my dream anyway.

I’ve written before that I have fond memories of eating peaches in my grandmother’s kitchen as a child.  And I remember loving the peaches for the most part.  But I don’t think it was until a few years ago that I really tasted a peach.  Tasted as in it left an indelible impression on me as the moment when I really fell in love with peaches.

We had just moved from New York.  I’ve got to tell you, it was hard for me to find good peaches there.  They definitely had farmers markets and pick-your-own.  But I don’t remember having peaches there like we have in Utah.  The peaches here can get to be the size of large grapefruits.  Every inch of them covered in a thick layer of peach fuzz and oozing with sweet juice.

My husband’s aunt gave us some Early Elberta peaches she bought from a neighbor.  They were the ugliest peaches I had ever seen.  But when I peeled the first one and ate it?  That was instant love.  It was like a first kiss.  Totally unforgettable.

Since that day I’ve been searching for an equally perfect peach.  A few have come close, but none have ever tasted quite as wonderful as that one peach did that day five years ago.  It was the beginning of my awakening to tasting and enjoying food in a new way.  I’ve never looked back.

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Peach Buttermilk Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Tangy buttermilk pairs perfectly with sweet, juicy peaches in the bread pudding topped with amber caramel sauce.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 25 mins
  • Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • For bread pudding:
  • 8 thick slices artisan bread (3/4 lb. loaf), cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 cups buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks (or 1 large egg)
  • 1 1/4 lbs. fresh peaches, sliced and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • For caramel sauce:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream, heated until very hot
  • pinch sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. For bread pudding:
  2. Butter a 9 by 13-inch pan. Place bread cubes and peaches in an even layer in the pan.
  3. Whisk buttermilk, sugar, vanilla, eggs and egg yolks. Pour over the bread and peaches. Let stand for about an hour in the fridge. Remove and let come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake for about 45 minutes or until set and top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
  5. Spoon warm bread pudding into bowls and top with caramel sauce.
  6. Yield: 8 servings
  7. For caramel sauce:
  8. Sprinkle the sugar in the bottom of a heavy-duty saucepan. Turn heat on to medium-high. The sugar will start to melt. Gently swirl the pan so the sugar melts evenly. When the sugar has all melted and is golden amber in color, remove from heat and immediately add the butter and cream. It will bubble furiously and then calm down. The caramel will probably clump up. Place the pan over medium heat and stir to melt the clumps. Add a pinch of sea salt and the vanilla extract. Pour into a glass jar or pitcher and keep warm until ready to serve. Cover the leftover sauce and refrigerate. Keeps well for 2 weeks.

Notes

  • Author: Lindsey Johnson
  • Prep Time: 40 mins
  • Cook Time: 45 mins
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

 

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184 Comments

  1. I think peaches are my favorite fruit too. When you have your orchard, can I come raid it? ;)

    Bread pudding is one of my favorite desserts so this dish of yours is perfect for me! Yum!

    Oh, and good luck on your new freelance adventures! Looking forward to following your journey.

  2. this looks soooo decadent, we don’t have peaches here but i guess mangoes will be a great substitute, as its natural acidity will balance the sweetness of caramel..fantastic! My boyfriend will love this :D

  3. Instead of the insipid comments of (“oh doesn’t this look specia!”), it would be nice to see reviews of the recipe by those who have taken the time to make it.

  4. Loved the recipe, will have to make it again using the peaches. I also used pears instead of peaches, and put in cinnamon and nutmeg, turned out great.

  5. This turned out great! I had buttermilk sandwich bread and frozen peaches and half & half, but those incidentals didn’t wreck this yummy recipe. I did simmer the caramel sauce a bit after adding the cream & butter to thicken; it was too thin for my liking. Excited to try with different varieties of fruits, and next time I would add spices.

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