Bread Pudding
on Oct 14, 2023
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Bread Pudding is a timeless dessert that has delighted taste buds for generations. Made from humble ingredients like milk, eggs, and day-old bread, this dessert offers a rich and comforting experience like no other.
Bread pudding has a nostalgic and comforting appeal. Its humble origins as a way to use up leftover bread evoke feelings of home and tradition.
It’s an excellent way to reduce food waste by repurposing day-old or stale bread that might otherwise be discarded.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Simple Ingredients: The beauty of this bread pudding recipe lies in its simplicity. With just a handful of common ingredients, you can create a dessert that’s rich in flavor and texture.
Minimal Effort: You don’t need to be a master baker to whip up this delicious treat. It’s a straightforward recipe that anyone can follow, making it perfect for novice bakers or busy home cooks.
Comforting Flavor: The combination of brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract infuses the pudding with a warm and comforting flavor profile that’s perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth.
Versatile: Bread pudding is a versatile dessert that can be enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, or as a decadent dessert. It’s equally delightful when served warm or chilled.
Recipe Ingredients
- Whole Milk: Rich and creamy whole milk provide the velvety base that makes our dessert indulgently smooth.
- Eggs: Serve as the essential binder, lending structure and a golden richness to our creation.
- Day-Old Bread Cubes: Resurrecting yesterday’s bread, 1-inch bread cubes offer a rustic, satisfying texture to elevate our pudding.
- Brown Sugar: Adds both depth and sweetness, readily adjustable to cater to your unique taste preferences.
- Ground Cinnamon: A teaspoon of ground cinnamon infuses our dessert with a warm, comforting spice.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Elevating the flavor profile, vanilla extract adds a fragrant and sweet dimension, enhancing the overall taste.
- Salt: Salt subtly balances and harmonizes the flavors, ensuring that every bite is perfectly seasoned.
Popular Substitutions and Variations
- Bread Variations: While traditional bread pudding calls for plain white bread, you can experiment with different types of bread. Brioche, challah, or even croissants can add a rich and buttery dimension to your pudding.
- Milk Choices: Don’t hesitate to use alternative milk options like almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk if you have dietary restrictions or preferences. Just ensure that the milk you choose complements the other flavors in the recipe.
- Sweeteners: If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to brown sugar, you can substitute it with honey, maple syrup, or a sugar substitute like stevia. Adjust the quantity to match your desired level of sweetness.
- Flavor Enhancements: Get creative with flavor by adding ingredients like raisins, dried cranberries, chopped nuts, or even chocolate chips. These additions can provide extra texture and taste to your bread pudding.
How To Make Bread Pudding
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan with butter or non-stick spray for easy removal later.
- Spread the bread cubes evenly in the greased pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until you have a smooth mixture.
- Pour the wet mixture over the bread cubes, ensuring all the bread pieces are soaked. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center is set. Cool slightly before serving, and enjoy warm or cold to your liking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bread pudding is a classic dessert made by combining stale or day-old bread with a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, and flavorings. It’s baked until the bread absorbs the liquid and sets into a delicious, custard-like texture.
While it’s traditionally made with stale or slightly stale bread, you can use fresh bread in a pinch. However, using stale bread adds a better texture to the pudding.
Yes, you can make bread pudding in advance and refrigerate it. It often tastes even better the next day as the flavors have a chance to meld together. Reheat it in the oven or microwave before serving.
Expert Tips
- Prevent Soggy Bottoms: Place the bread cubes in the baking dish first, then pour the custard mixture over them. This helps prevent a soggy bottom layer.
- Let It Soak: Allow the bread to absorb the custard mixture for at least 10-15 minutes before baking. This ensures even distribution of flavors and a creamy texture.
- Add Mix-Ins: Customize your bread pudding by adding ingredients like raisins, dried fruits, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts. Just ensure they’re evenly distributed.
- Check for Doneness: To check if the pudding is done, insert a knife or skewer into the center. It should come out clean, with no liquid custard clinging to it.
Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups whole milk, or any milk of your choice
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 heaping cups of day-old bread, preferably slightly stale, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup packed brown sugar, you can adjust according to sweetness preference
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Set the rack in the middle position.
- Lightly grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan using butter or non-stick spray. This ensures easy removal of the bread pudding post baking.
- Evenly distribute the bread cubes in the greased pan.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Ensure the mixture is smooth and sugar starts to dissolve.
- Stir in the cinnamon and salt into the wet mixture until well combined.
- Pour the wet mixture over the bread cubes. Gently press down on the bread with a fork or spatula so that all the bread pieces are soaked in the mixture. Allow the bread to absorb the liquid for about 5-10 minutes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center is set, meaning when a knife or skewer is inserted, it comes out clean.
- Allow the bread pudding to cool slightly before serving. This can be enjoyed warm or cold, as desired.
Notes
- A slightly stale, dense bread like brioche or challah works best as it absorbs the liquid well without becoming too mushy.
- You can also add raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips for additional texture and flavor.
- If using raisins, consider soaking them in rum or warm water for 10-15 minutes before adding.
- Bread pudding can be served with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, drizzle of caramel sauce, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream on top for an indulgent treat.
- Bread pudding stores well in the fridge for 3-4 days. Cover it with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.
- Reheat slices in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, or in a preheated oven at 350°F for 10 minutes until warmed through. Avoid over-heating to maintain its soft texture.
