Bread Pudding Recipe (With Step-By-Step)

Servings:

8

Bread pudding, an old-fashioned, classic dessert, is a decadent way to use up leftover or slightly stale bread and transform it into something delicious. Our bread pudding recipe is a classic, perfumed with vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and dotted with raisins. This comforting dish is welcome any night of the week and is a holiday tradition for many families.

We use a bain marie to bake the bread pudding because it's a more gentle way to cook creamy, custard-filled desserts. This bread pudding recipe results in a rich and creamy pudding—and it's hard to stop at just one serving.

The Best Bread for Bread Pudding

When making bread pudding, we prefer to use rich, eggy bread like brioche or challah. However, other types of bread do work for this recipe, especially soft loaves—and even croissants. Hearty whole wheat or seeded loaves have a stronger flavor that interferes with the indulgent richness of the bread pudding. Other seed and wheat breads don't soak up the custard as well.

When choosing the loaf of bread, ensure that it is not sliced. When preparing the bread for the pudding, you will need to dice it up into cubes or pull it apart into smaller pieces, which is difficult to do with pre-sliced loaves.

Fresh Isn't Best

It's best to use bread that isn't fresh for this recipe—even stale will work. Fresh bread won't soak up the custard properly. If you know in advance that you are making this dish, buy your bread of choice ahead of time so it has more time to dry out. You can also cut up the bread and leave it out for a few hours or overnight to use for the next day.

Directions

Ingredients for Classic Bread Pudding — Rachel Marek

Prep dish:

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside. Put bread in a large bowl; set aside.
Heat milk and cream:

Heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until just about to simmer; remove from heat.

Rachel Marek
Whisk eggs, sugar, and spices:

Whisk eggs, yolk, sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Rachel Marek

Rachel Marek
Add cream mixture to egg mixture:

Whisking constantly, pour the cream mixture in a slow, steady stream into the egg mixture.

Rachel Marek

Rachel Marek
Pour over bread and let stand:

Pour over bread; fold to combine. Let stand for 30 minutes, tossing and pressing occasionally to submerge the bread.

Rachel Marek

Rachel Marek
Soak raisins:

Meanwhile, soak raisins in 1 cup boiling water for 30 minutes.

Rachel Marek
Preheat oven; add raisins to the bread mixture:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Drain raisins then stir into bread mixture.

Rachel Marek
Transfer bread mixture to prepared dish:

Use a slotted spoon to transfer bread to the buttered dish; pour liquid in a bowl over top. Using a spoon, turn the top layer of the bread crust side up.

Rachel Marek
Place dish in bain marie:

Set dish in a roasting pan; transfer to oven. Pour boiling water into the pan to reach about halfway up the sides of the dish.

Rachel Marek
Bake:

Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes. Let dish cool on a rack 10 to 20 minutes.

Rachel Marek

How to Store Bread Pudding

Cooled, leftover bread pudding should be stored in the refrigerator. Either place it in an airtight container or cover it in plastic wrap. It will last for three to four days. We do not recommend freezing bread pudding.

Variations for Classic Bread Pudding

Individual Bread Puddings: Divide the mixture among eight buttered 6-ounce ramekins; bake for 40 minutes.

Swap the raisins for the same amount of another dried fruit: Try dried cranberries or cherries golden raisins, or chopped dried apricots.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you know when bread pudding is done?

You will know when the bread pudding is done because the top will have turned a golden-brown color, and the edges of the pudding should have started to pull away from the sides of the pan. You can stick a toothpick or knife into the center; if it comes out clean, then your bread pudding is done baking. Ensure that there is no visible liquid remaining.
Why is my bread pudding mushy?

Your bread pudding is mushy for two main reasons. One, it has not baked long enough for the custard to cook and set up. The other reason is that the bread was too fresh and wasn't able to soak up enough custard to keep the dish moist rather than too liquid.
Can you make bread pudding ahead?

Yes, you can make and bake bread pudding ahead of time. Cool and refrigerate the baked pudding, then bring it to room temperature before reheating in the oven. Once cooled, it is ready to be served.
How long can you leave bread pudding unrefrigerated?

You can leave bread pudding unrefrigerated for up to two hours after it has been baked. After two hours, it should be moved to the refrigerator. If you are making the bread pudding ahead of time, allow time for it to cool before refrigerating. That said, be sure not to leave it out at room temperature for longer than two hours.
How do you keep bread pudding from drying out?

You can keep the bread pudding from drying out by covering it for half of the baking time. Cover the dish in foil, set a time for the halfway mark, and remove the foil for the second half of the baking time. Using a cover will ensure that the moisture stays inside and the texture of the pudding will come out perfectly moist.