Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›Canje›Bread Pudding Recipe

Bread Pudding Recipe

Inspired by Canje
Time5h
Serves6

arrives with a scoop of bread amino ice cream, made from a monthslong fermenting process involving lots of scrap bread and koji

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Ingredients

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Bread Pudding

Bread Amino Ice Cream (Fermented Scraps + Koji) - SCOOP

Finishing & Serving

Method

Bread Pudding

  1. 1

    Prepare oven and pan

    Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Generously butter a 9x9-inch or similarly sized baking dish with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter.

  2. 2

    Assemble bread

    Place 8 cups torn stale bread into a large mixing bowl. If using dried fruit, scatter 1/2 cup golden raisins or chopped dried fruit evenly through the bread.

  3. 3

    Make custard

    In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt. Warm over medium heat until just below simmering (small bubbles form at edges), whisking to dissolve sugar and bloom spices — about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

  4. 4

    Temper eggs

    In a separate bowl, whisk 4 large eggs. Slowly stream about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking continuously to temper. Then pour the tempered eggs back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture and stir to combine.

  5. 5

    Combine and soak

    Pour the warm custard evenly over the bread pieces, add 3 tablespoons melted butter, and gently push the bread down so it soaks. Let sit 15–20 minutes so the bread fully absorbs the custard. If bread seems dry, press down again and let another 5 minutes.

  6. 6

    Bake

    Before baking, sprinkle 1 tablespoon demerara or coarse sugar across the top for a light crunch. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the center and the top is golden, about 35–40 minutes. A knife inserted near center should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.

  7. 7

    Rest

    Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to finish setting. The pudding will be warm and slightly custardy.

Bread Amino Ice Cream (Fermented Scraps + Koji)

  1. 8

    Notes on starter

    The recipe assumes you have 1 cup of bread amino starter — a monthslong ferment made from scrap bread and koji. This mash should be smooth enough to strain. If chunky, briefly blitz in a food processor then strain through a fine sieve, pressing to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible; discard or reserve solids for another use.

  2. 9

    Infuse milk with starter

    Combine 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream in a saucepan and add the 1 cup bread amino starter. Warm over medium-low heat until just steaming (do not boil), stirring frequently for 5–7 minutes so flavors meld. Remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes to allow savory/amino notes to infuse the dairy.

  3. 10

    Make custard base

    In a bowl, whisk 4 egg yolks with 1/4 cup granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly whisk 1/3 of the warm milk-starter mixture into the yolks to temper. Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the custard coats the back of a spoon (about 170–175°F / 77–80°C). Do not allow to boil.

  4. 11

    Strain and cool

    Remove from heat and immediately strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any solids. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Place the bowl in an ice bath and stir occasionally until the mixture is cold (about 20–30 minutes).

  5. 12

    Churn

    Refrigerate the cooled custard for at least 2 hours or overnight for best texture. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency (about 20–30 minutes).

  6. 13

    Harden and store

    Transfer churned ice cream to a lidded container, smooth the top, press a piece of parchment directly onto the surface, and freeze until firm (at least 4 hours). For service, allow the ice cream to soften slightly at room temperature for 5–10 minutes so it scoops cleanly.

Plating & Serving

  1. 14

    Portion

    Spoon a generous wedge or scoop (~3/4 to 1 cup) of warm bread pudding onto each serving plate.

  2. 15

    Top with ice cream

    Place one scoop (about 1/2 cup) of bread amino ice cream atop the pudding while the pudding is still warm so the ice cream slightly melts, creating pockets of savory-sweet sauce.

  3. 16

    Finish

    Optional: drizzle with caramel or sprinkle toasted nut crumble (about 1–2 tablespoons) for texture. Serve immediately.

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