Salted Caramel Pretzel Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

Bread pudding

• 60g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 220 g white bread slices, crusts removed, cut into 2.5 cm pieces.
• 1 package (350 g) of frozen soft pretzels (6 pcs.), including salt packets
• 1.5 cups of milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 0.5 cups of sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs + 3 yolks
• 12 soft caramel candies, cut in half

Caramel sauce

• 12 soft caramel candies
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp. heavy cream

Preparation:

1. Position the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 2-quart (2-liter) baking dish with butter.
2. Bread pudding:
   
   Spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with melted butter and toss. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, microwave the pretzels according to the package directions (don't use all the salt). Cut each pretzel into quarters. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract, whole eggs, and yolks. Place the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Top with pretzel pieces (turning some over to expose the browned sides), then top with caramel candy halves. Drizzle with the cream mixture. Cover with foil and let rest for 20 minutes.
4. Bake until the bread pudding is set and slightly jiggly in the center, 45-55 minutes. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
   
   Caramel sauce:
   
   Meanwhile, combine the caramel, butter, and heavy cream in a small bowl. Microwave, stirring, until the caramel and butter are melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. The caramel sauce can be made ahead of time and reheated to thin before serving.
   
   Before serving, drizzle the bread pudding with caramel sauce and sprinkle with the remaining pretzel salt.