Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

For the caramel sauce (can be made 1 week ahead, then chilled and reheated for serving):

Melt powdered sugar in a small sauce pan until it begins to melt and caramelize on the bottom. Stir until smooth and color reaches a deep amber.

Stir in 1 cup of cream, rum, and salt. Once it is smooth again, stir in remaining 1/4 cup of cream and butter, then remove from heat.

For the pudding:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Slice bread into 3/4-inch cubes. Spread bread onto a baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes. Bread should be dry, but not hard.

Heat cream and half-and-half in a saucepan until simmers.

Whisk eggs with sugar and salt. Slowly whisk hot cream mixture into egg mixture.

Strain custard and stir in vanilla extract. Chill for about 30 minutes, until lukewarm.

Chop banana lengthwise then crosswise, into 1/3-inch pieces.

Heat brown sugar and 3 tablespoons butter in a small sauce pan until melted and smooth. Add lemon juice and rum to pan, stir until smooth. Add bananas and coat with sauce then remove from heat.

Butter an 8x8x2 inch glass dish with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Layer 1/3 bread cubes, 1/2 banana mix, 1/3 bread cubes, remaining banana mix, then remaining bread cubes. Drizzle custard over the bread. It may run over a little.

Allow to stand for at least 30 minutes so that bread will soak until custard. Occasionally press down on bread.

Place glass dish into a 9×13 inch metal baking pan and fill metal pan with water until comes halfway up the glass dish. Cover the whole dish with foil and place in the 350ºF oven for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake another 45 minutes. Remove from water bath and allow it to stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve drizzled with caramel sauce.