Creating Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce involves a few simple steps:

1. Preheat the Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures your pudding cooks evenly.

1. Prepare the Bread: Cube the stale bread into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl.

1. Mix the Custard: In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.

1. Combine: Pour the egg mixture over the cubed bread. Gently fold the mixture to ensure all the bread cubes are soaked. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to absorb the custard.

1. Add Fruit: If you'd like, add raisins or currants to the bread mixture for added flavor and texture.

1. Transfer to Baking Dish: Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with butter and pour the bread mixture into it, spreading it evenly.

1. Bake: Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted comes out clean.

1. Cool Slightly: Once done, remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

1. Make the Vanilla Sauce: While the pudding cools, prepare the sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine heavy cream and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves, then add vanilla extract. If you prefer a thicker sauce, mix cornstarch with a little water before adding it to the saucepan, stirring until dissolved and thickened to your liking.

1. Serve: Spoon the warm pudding into bowls and drizzle generously with the vanilla sauce.