French toast bread pudding with warm peaches

I love this bread pudding. This is my favorite thing to have for breakfast. I've made it several times in the last few months. It's so easy to make. Most of the work is done the night before so you can just pop it in the oven first thing in the morning. I think it would make a tasty Easter brunch.

French toast bread pudding with warm peaches
serves 6
prep time: 20 minutes
chill time: overnight
bake time: 45 minutes

1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 loaf (about 1 pound) cinnamon-swirl bread, challah or brioche bread
6 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2-1/2 cups milk
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Peaches:
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 ripe peaches, sliced (you are definitely going to want to double the peaches, but nothing else)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

The night before serving, smear the 1 tablespoon butter over the bottom and sides of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or other 2-quart baking dish. Tear the bread into small pieces and scatter in the dish. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla. Pour over the bread. Tamp down the bread with a spatula to submerge each piece in egg. Cover with foil, gently pressing down so the foil is right on the surface of the mixture. Refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, remove the dish and slide it into a cold oven with the foil on (otherwise, the dish will crack). Turn oven on to 375°. After 25 minutes, gently pull off and discard the foil. Continue to bake until mixture is puffed and golden brown, about 20 more minutes. At this point, prepare the peaches by melting the 4 tablespoons butter in a wide nonstick pan then stirring in the brown sugar. When mixture is bubbly, add peaches and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until peaches start to look glazed, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside (mixture will be really hot).

When bread pudding is cooked, let it cool for a few minutes on a rack, then spoon onto plates and top with warm peaches.

Enjoy!

***Amy***