Bread Pudding Recipe

Prepare bread

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread the cubed brioche on a baking sheet and toast in the oven 6–8 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Remove and let cool slightly.

Make custard

In a large bowl, whisk together whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt until smooth and combined.

Combine bread and custard

Place the toasted bread cubes into a 9x9-inch (or similar) baking dish. Pour the custard evenly over the bread, pressing gently so the bread soaks up the liquid. Let sit 20–30 minutes at room temperature (or refrigerate up to 2 hours) to allow full absorption.

Bake

Brush the top lightly with 1 tablespoon melted butter and dot with the remaining 2 tablespoons. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15–20 minutes more until the custard is set (a knife inserted near center comes out mostly clean) and top is golden brown. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil.

Rest

Remove from oven and let rest 10–15 minutes before serving or adding apple curd and roasted pineapple.

Cook apples

While the pudding bakes, place the diced apples, 1 tablespoon sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until apples soften and release juices, about 6–8 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Temper yolks and finish curd

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly stir about 2 tablespoons of the hot apple mixture into the yolks to temper. Then whisk the tempered yolks back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens to a spoon-coating curd (about 3–4 minutes). Remove from heat and whisk in cold diced butter until smooth. Stir in ground ginger (if using) and salt. Transfer to a bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap, and chill if not using immediately. Makes roughly 3/4–1 cup.

Toss pineapple

Increase oven temperature to 425°F (220°C) after removing the pudding, or use a separate oven if available. In a bowl, toss pineapple chunks with dark brown sugar, melted butter, lime juice, cinnamon, and a pinch of flaky sea salt until evenly coated.

Roast

Arrange pineapple in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet or small roasting pan. Roast for 12–15 minutes, turning once halfway through, until edges are caramelized and fruit is golden. Let cool slightly.

Assemble

Spoon warm apple curd over individual servings of the bread pudding, then top with several pieces of roasted pineapple. If desired, dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of crème anglaise.

Storage

Refrigerate leftover apple curd in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Cover bread pudding tightly and refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat gently in a 325°F (160°C) oven until warmed through. Store roasted pineapple separately for up to 2 days and reheat briefly in a skillet or oven.