The Easy Trick for Bread Pudding With the Perfect Texture Inside and Out

Name: The Easy Trick for Bread Pudding With the Perfect Texture Inside and Out
Ingredients: 1 1/4 pound (567g) of loaf bread, preferably a rich eggy bread like brioche or challah, cut into 1- to 1 1/2 inch cubes (see notes); 2 large eggs plus 6 large egg yolks; 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces plus 1/2 ounce), divided; 4 teaspoons (20ml) vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped; 1 teaspoon grated orange or lemon zest, optional; 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided; 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume; Pinch ground nutmeg; 2 cups heavy cream (see notes); 2 cups whole milk (see notes); 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 1/2 cup dried fruit (such as raisins, currants, dried cherries, or chopped dried apricots) and/or 1/2 cup toasted chopped nuts (such as pecans, walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts), optional