Bread Pudding Classic Dessert (Printable Version)

Comforting dessert of bread cubes soaked in vanilla custard with plump raisins, baked golden.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pudding

01 - 6 cups stale bread, cubed (French bread or brioche recommended)
02 - 1 cup raisins
03 - 2 cups whole milk
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 4 large eggs
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for greasing)

→ Sauce

12 - 1 cup heavy cream
13 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
15 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 - Pinch of salt

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter.
02 - Place cubed bread in the baking dish and evenly sprinkle raisins over it.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and melted butter until smooth.
04 - Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread and raisins. Press lightly to submerge the bread and allow to stand for 10 minutes.
05 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until puffed, golden, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
06 - While baking, combine cream, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture simmers. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
07 - Serve warm bread pudding drizzled with warm sauce.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Stale bread transforms into something luxurious and nobody ever suspects it wasn't meant to be that way.
  • The warm vanilla sauce drowning over golden squares is the kind of comfort that makes people close their eyes while eating.
  • You'll feel like you've mastered a classic without any fussing or precision that intimidates.
02 -
  • Stale bread is non-negotiable here—fresh bread will turn to mush and lose its structure, so plan ahead or buy bread a day or two before you need it.
  • The custard needs to soak into the bread for at least 10 minutes before baking, or you'll end up with a bread layer and a custard layer instead of everything bound together.
  • Don't skip making the sauce—the warmth of it against the baked pudding is where the magic happens.
03 -
  • Measure your bread by weight if you have a scale rather than cups—it's more reliable and ensures consistent texture from batch to batch.
  • If your pudding isn't browning on top after 40 minutes, turn up the oven to 375°F for the last 5 minutes to get that gorgeous golden crust.
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