Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures that it's ready for baking when the bread pudding is prepared.

Place the French bread pieces in a large bowl and pour the whole milk over them. Allow the bread to soak in the milk for about 10 minutes, ensuring it's well saturated.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and raisins until they are thoroughly combined. This will be the flavorful custard mixture for the bread pudding.

Once the bread has soaked, pour the prepared egg mixture over it. Gently stir the mixture to ensure that all the bread pieces are coated and evenly soaked with the custard mixture.

Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray to prevent sticking. Transfer the bread pudding mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly.

In a small bowl, mix together the honey and remaining melted butter. Drizzle this sweet mixture evenly over the top of the bread pudding in the baking dish, adding a delicious touch of sweetness and flavor.

Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake the bread pudding for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the pudding is bubbling and set in the center.

While the bread pudding is baking, you can prepare a delicious vanilla sauce to serve alongside it. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the sugar and milk, stirring until it comes to a boil.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Once the milk mixture is boiling, stir in the cornstarch slurry and vanilla extract or vanilla bean.

Continue to cook the sauce for about a minute, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly. Remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly before serving.

Once the bread pudding is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve the warm or chilled bread pudding with or without the optional vanilla sauce. Enjoy this comforting and flavorful dessert!