8 Eggs
2 Cups Milk
2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 ½ Cups Sugar
1 Vanilla Bean
¼ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Cup Dark Rum or Brandy
1 Baguette (1 lb)
½ Teaspoon White Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
¾ Cup Water

1. Cut baguette into 1 in cubes
2. Whisk eggs until combined
3. Whisk in milk, cream, ½ cup sugar, vanilla bean, salt, and rum
4. Add bread cubes and let soak until liquid is absorbed (45 min - 1 hr)
5. In saucepan over high heat, stir together 1 cup sugar, ½ cup water, and vinegar until all the sugar has dissolved
6. Cook without stirring until sugar is brown (7 – 10 min)
7. Remove from heat and add ¼ cup water, while swirling
8. Quickly add to a 9 in round pan, rotating so the caramel covers the bottom and a little of the sides
9. Set aside to cool
10. Preheat oven to 350ºF
11. Put a kettle of water on stove to boil
12. Rub cooled pan with butter
13. Spoon in bread mixture, packing tightly
14. Cover with parchment round
15. Place pan in baking dish and add boiling water until ½ way up on sides
16. Bake 1 hr 15 min (until knife inserted comes out barely clean) Do Not Overbake
17. Let stand for 5 min and then run metal spatula around edges and invert the pudding onto a large rimmed plate