Place bread cubes in a greased 11 x 7” baking dish or 1-1/2 qt. oval casserole dish. Sprinkle cherries over bread.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir in half & half until well blended. Pour over bread mixture, pressing down on bread to coat with egg mixture. Let stand 15 minutes (or longer if you need to). The bread should absorb most of the liquid; if not, put in another piece of bread or two.

Bake at 350 degree for 40-45 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.

For Caramel Sauce: Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup and 1/2 cup of the cream in a heavy medium size saucepan. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Reduce heat to med-low. Boil 12 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in remaining 1 cup of cream and salt.

Return to a boil, stirring constantly for a few more minutes until it thickens again and is "saucy" and is a light golden color. Refrigerate any leftovers and reheat in microwave.

Serve warm or at room temperature with warm caramel sauce.