Prepare a 9" X 13" baking dish by coating it with butter.
Break or cut the bread into ½ to 1-inch pieces and set aside in a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
To another bowl, add the whole eggs and egg yolks and whip until creamy.
Whisk in the dark brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
Add the whole milk and heavy cream and whisk together thoroughly.
Pour the egg custard mix over the broken bread pieces in the bowl, pressing down with your hand so that all the bread is covered with the custard mix.
Allow this to sit for approximately 30 minutes as the bread absorbs the custard mix, stirring occasionally.
Mix well with your hands, squeezing the bread to mix in the custard thoroughly and crush any large pieces of bread.
If you are using the Glazed Pecans, add them at this point.
Pour all of the soaked bread into the prepared baking dish and place in a preheated 350-degree oven.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick or clean knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cane Syrup Rum Sauce
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Add the cane syrup and stir constantly until dissolved.
Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
Whisk in the heavy cream and rum and bring to a simmer.
Blend the cornstarch with the HOT water to form a paste and add it to the sauce pan.
Allow this to simmer until thickened slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Spoon the warm sauce over bread pudding.
Sprinkle Glazed Pecans on top if using.
Notes
This is the perfect recipe to use day old (or a few days old) New Orleans French Bread. This bread is known for its crispy crust and light and airy insides. When it's not perfectly fresh anymore, it's ideal for Pain Perdu (French Toast) or Bread Pudding. If you don't have New Orleans French Bread available, you can use just about any bread you like.Adding Pecans is optional. This recipe uses my Glazed Pecans with Rum and Cane Syrup, but fresh pecans are also good, or no pecans at all.Many Bread Puddings use raisins which is certainly an option, but one that I prefer to skip. It's not uncommon to see other fruit used in Bread Pudding-also one that I choose to skip, although it does remind me of school lunches when I was growing up. Try some variations of your favorite fruit if you want to change things up a bit.