Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a pastry brush, spread softened butter over bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan. Set aside. Break bread into chunks and drop into bowl. Pour milk over bread. When bread is softened, crumble it into bits and let it continue to soak until milk is absorbed. In a small bowl, beat eggs and sugar until smooth and thick. Stir in raisins and vanilla. Pour mixture over bread crumbs and stir until well combined. Pour bread pudding into buttered dish spreading it evenly and smoothing top. Place dish in a large shallow pan set on the middle shelf of oven and pour boiling water into pan to a depth of about 1 inch. Bake 1 hour or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Melt butter bits in top of double boiler set over hot, not boiling water. Stir sugar and egg together in a small bowl and add mixture to the butter. Stir for 2-3 minutes until sugar dissolves completely and the egg is cooked. Don't let the sauce come to a boil or the egg will curdle. Remove pan from heat and let sauce cool to room temperature before stirring in bourbon. Serve at once with sauce served separately.