Bread Pudding Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to tell when bread pudding is done? ›

Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Another way to judge whether the pudding is fully baked, is to gently press down on the center of the pudding. If any custard comes up to the top, the pudding needs to be baked a little longer.

Making perfect bread pudding

Since this is a custard dish, we need to treat it as such, thermally. We want bread that is moist throughout, not chewy and dry. And what we don't want from our custard is something that is either undercooked and runny (soggy milk bread anyone?) or overcooked and scrambled-eggy.

Bread pudding can be served warm, room temperature, cold. If you'd rather have it warm or room temperature, skip the 6 hour refrigeration time. The orange custard sauce can also be served warm over warm bread pudding.

Temperature Is Key

Finally, to avoid overcooking it, it's important to know when it's done. To check the inside to see if all the liquid has been absorbed, insert a knife into the middle of the pudding and create a small hole by pushing the bread to the side: If liquid begins oozing into the hole, it's not yet ready.

Set the bowl, uncovered, in the refrigerator. After 15 minutes, cover the pudding with a sheet of plastic wrap pressed against the surface and refrigerate until fully thickened, about 2 hours. To serve: Whip the thickened pudding with a hand or stand mixer for a full minute to restore its creamy texture.

Curdling occurs when the eggs in a pudding are overcooked. For that reason, stove-top puddings are usually thickened with starch and then enriched with eggs.

Can bread pudding sit out overnight? Do not let your bread pudding sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours after it has been baked. You should make sure you eat it within 4 days.

Before the inside of your pudding is set, the outer layer can become burnt and dry, which is why covering bread pudding during baking is the best move.

Leftover bread pudding stays good in the fridge for about 3-4 days, but will start loosing moistness after 1-2 days.

The dish is served with a fork AND a spoon so you can get every last bit of that heavenly sauce. Advice: Ditch the fork – it's completely superfluous – and dig in with the spoon!

Why is it called bread pudding? ›

' If you're wondering why it is called a pudding, it's because this dish includes a cereal base (the bread) and has a soft and spongy consistency after baking.

Not allowing it to rest after baking

It is usual for bread pudding to somewhat collapse when it goes from the oven to the room temperature air, but you surely don't want to further contribute to it becoming flat. Therefore, don't dish it out too quickly.

How do you fix dry bread pudding? If you somehow overcook it and it becomes dry or you're reheating your bread pudding, you can fix it by adding a bread pudding sauce or cream on top. In fact, nothing works better than ice cream to bring it back to life.

It will coat the back of the spoon; test it by running your finger down the spoon. You should wipe a clear, clean line through the custard. Remove from heat. The pudding will thicken more as it cools.

In a perfect world, bread pudding has a creamy, rich interior with a crispy, golden exterior. It should hold shape when you remove it from the pan, and there should be no lingering liquid. The main components of the dish are bread cubes and an eggy mixture that you combine and bake.

Inserting a toothpick into the center of a baked good is a tried and true method to test for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, your bread is likely fully baked. It needs a bit more time if it comes out wet with dough or crumbs.

Put the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, whisking, until the pudding starts to bubble and thicken, about 1-2 minutes (it will continue to thicken as it chills).