Bread Pudding Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9x9-inch baking dish (or similar 8–9 cup capacity) or spray lightly with nonstick spray.

If your bread is not already stale/dry, cut into 1-inch cubes and spread on a baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven 6–8 minutes until lightly dried but not browned. Remove and cool slightly.

Place the cooled bread cubes in the prepared baking dish in an even layer.

In a medium mixing bowl (or large measuring cup), whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and sea salt until smooth and the sugars begin to dissolve.

Taste the custard and adjust sweetness or cinnamon if desired.

Scatter any chosen mix-ins evenly over the bread cubes: dried fruit, diced apple/pear, fresh berries or sliced stone fruit, and/or toasted nuts. Gently press the mix-ins into the bread so they’re distributed.

Pour the custard evenly over the bread and mix-ins, pressing lightly with a spatula so the bread soaks up the liquid. Let sit 10–15 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the custard; if time allows, cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours for deeper soaking.

Dot the top of the soaked bread pudding with small pieces of the butter, and sprinkle the demerara/turbinado sugar over the top if using for a crunchy crust.

Bake in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 35–45 minutes, until the custard is set at the edges and a knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs (internal temperature about 160–165°F/71–74°C). If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow the bread pudding to rest 10–15 minutes; it will continue to set as it cools.

Serve warm, portioned into squares or scooped. Spoon optional sauce (vanilla anglaise, caramel, or bourbon sauce) over each serving. Leftovers refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat gently in the oven or microwave.