This recipe is proof-positive that leftover bread can easily be converted to dessert without much work. There’s room for customization here: Consider adding fresh or dried fruit or a combination of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom. Bread pudding makes a great brunch dish, served with fresh fruit compote. Or add a handful of chocolate chips before baking for a decidedly more decadent outcome.
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk, butter, vanilla, sugar and salt. Continue cooking just until butter melts; cool. Meanwhile, butter a 4-to-6-cup baking dish and fill it with the cubed bread.
The New York Times Cooking
The New York Times Cooking
Step 2
Add eggs to cooled milk mixture and whisk; pour mixture over bread.
Step 3
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until custard is set but still a little wobbly and edges of bread have browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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FAQS
Wrap the baked pudding with plastic wrap, or tuck individual portions into an airtight container, then store in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Let the bread pudding cool completely. Leave the pudding in the baking dish or remove it, wrap it with plastic wrap, then again with aluminum foil and freeze for up to three months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 350-degree oven until warmed through. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave in 30-second intervals.
Assemble the pudding in the baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for up to two days before baking according to instructions.
5-6 cups of bread require more than 2 cups of milk & 2 eggs.
You can't fit 5-6 cups of bread in a 4-6 cup baking dish. So,
* 5-6 cups bread
* 1 quart milk
* 4 eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
... in a 2.5-quart casserole dish.
Louisanova
Make sure to let the bread soak in the egg-milk mixture; about an hour or more is perfect. Then it will become a beautiful custard.
Kim
I agree that letting the mixture soak for a while improves the result. Also doubling the eggs, 4 rather than 2, makes for a better custards pudding.
Sue Lin
For a more diabetic friendly recipe, I mixed one package of Hero Hawaiian rolls with 3 slices of Japanese milk bread, and family friends thought it was delicious dessert. I topped with whipped cream and 4-5 organic raspberries to balance the sweetness of the bread pudding with the subtle tartness of the fruit. Our we prefer less sweet desserts, so this worked well.
Megan T.
Cherry Almond Bread Pudding!
I’ve made this MANY times and it’s always good, because it’s such a solid recipe, but this time was different. This time I riffed and it was the best I’ve ever made. People were groaning!
1lb bag of supermarket brioche burger buns leftover from a BBQ. A bag of bing cherries about to spoil. 4 eggs, 3 cups of milk, 1 teaspoon each vanilla and almond extract plus 1 tablespoon Bourbon. Everything else was the same. I sprinkled on some raw sugar at the end and next time I may add sliced almonds, but honestly I may not change anything because it was SO good. Pair with some vanilla ice cream and a manhattan for the ultimate night cap.
Stevie K
@Louisanova I use leftover sour dough, temper the eggs, poor the warm custard over the bread which has the same effect. Probably wouldn't work well on a light loaf like brioche as it would probably fall apart.
