• Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃ and grab two large cookie sheets.
• Slice the crust off of the bread, then cut or tear into 1-inch cubes. Spread evenly between the two cookies sheets in one layer.
  1 loaf Italian or French bread
• Bake for 10 minutes, turning over the bread at half, until slightly dried out.
• While the bread is baking, toast the pecans in a frying pan and transfer to a plate to cool.
  1 cup pecans

Bread Pudding Custard

• To prepare the custard, add the milk and sugar to a saucepan over medium low heat and whisk together until the sugar is dissolved, then remove from the heat.
  2 cups whole milk, 1 cup light brown sugar
• In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, spices and vanilla, then stream in the warm milk while whisking continuously.
  2 cups heavy whipping cream, 4 large eggs, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
• Grease a 13x9 inch casserole dish and transfer half of the bread to the dish, sprinkle over half of the pecans. Drizzle over half of the custard and gently press down all over.
• Add the rest of the bread, remaining pecans, and drizzle over the remaining custard.
• Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and gently push down all over. Allow it to stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes for the bread to absorb the custard. Remove the plastic wrap and re-cover with a piece of foil.
• Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃ and bake with the foil on for 30 minutes, then remove and bake uncovered for 15-25 more minutes until slightly puffy and golden and completely hot the whole way through.

Vanilla Sauce

• While the bread pudding bakes, set up a double boiler by placing one to two inches of water in a saucepan and place a glass bowl on top. Be sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water. It should sit snugly on the rim of the saucepan.
• Set up another large bowl with cold water and ice cubes, this needs to be bigger than the double boiler bowl.
• In third bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then add the sugar and whisk rapidly until pale and slightly fluffier.
  4 large egg yolks, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• Add the milk and cream to a saucepan and heat over medium heat until it reaches 180℉/82℃ on a digital thermometer.
  1½ cups whole milk, ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• Once the milk reaches temperature, slowly stream it into the egg mixture, whisking constantly until combined. Then, pour the mixture into the bowl on the double boiler bowl and heat until it reaches 185℉/87℃. Whisk constantly.
• Add the bowl into the ice water, then whisk in the vanilla and alcohol. Stir the mixture occasionally until it becomes warm or even room temperature.
  1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract, 2 oz bourbon or rum
• Serve scoops or slices of the bread pudding onto plates or bowls, then drizzle on the vanilla sauce.