Bread Pudding Classic Dessert (Printable Version)

Golden bread soaked in vanilla custard, baked with raisins and served warm with creamy sauce.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pudding

01 - 6 cups stale bread cubes (French bread or brioche, approximately 10.6 oz)
02 - 1 cup raisins (5.3 oz)
03 - 2 cups whole milk (16 fl oz)
04 - 1 cup heavy cream (8 fl oz)
05 - 4 large eggs
06 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar (5.3 oz)
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 the dish)

→ Sauce

12 - 1 cup heavy cream (8 fl oz)
13 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3.5 oz)
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
15 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 - Pinch of salt

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter.
02 - Place bread cubes evenly in the baking dish and sprinkle raisins over the top.
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. Lightly press to ensure bread absorbs custard. Let 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 and stir in vanilla extract and salt.
07 - Serve the pudding warm, drizzled with the prepared sauce.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's endlessly forgiving—stale bread becomes an advantage, not a problem you're trying to hide.
  • The sauce is pure magic, transforming simple cream and sugar into something that tastes like indulgence with minimal effort.
  • You can have it ready in under two hours from start to warm, comforting spoonful.
02 -
  • Don't bake a bread pudding straight from a cold soak—those 10 minutes of resting time is where the bread absorbs the custard, preventing dry patches and dense centers.
  • The top should puff up in the oven, but don't let it scare you into overbaking; that puff will deflate slightly as it cools, giving you the perfect tender-but-set texture.
03 -
  • If your custard has any lumps from cold eggs hitting warm milk, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve before pouring—two seconds of effort that saves the texture.
  • A splash of bourbon in the sauce elevates it without anyone tasting alcohol; they'll just taste sophistication.
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