Homemade Bread Pudding Recipe from Scratch

Bread pudding is one of the oldest and most classic desserts out there, and it’s easy to see why. It’s warm, comforting, and incredibly delicious. Combining old, stale bread, eggs, milk, sugar and butter, it’s a dessert that can easily be made from scratch and tailored to suit personal taste. Whether you’re looking to create a comforting dessert for your family or want to surprise your guests with a delicious treat, bread pudding is the perfect option.

With a few simple ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions, making bread pudding from scratch is a breeze. But where do you start? The first step is to gather your ingredients. You’ll need day-old bread, milk, eggs, sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla extract and any other additions you’d like to add such as raisins, chocolate chips, or fruit. Once you’ve gathered everything you need, you’ll be ready to begin creating the perfect bread pudding that is bound to delight everyone who tries it.

Subheading 1: Gather Your Ingredients

To begin making bread pudding from scratch, you’ll need to gather all the necessary ingredients. Most likely, you’ll already have most of them in your pantry. Here’s a list of what you’ll need:

– Stale bread: This is essential to make bread pudding. Fresh bread will not work.
– Milk: Regular dairy milk or plant-based milk will work; choose your preference.
– Cream: Heavy cream or whole milk works great.
– Sugar: To sweeten the pudding.
– Eggs: The eggs will bind the pudding together.
– Vanilla extract: This is optional but adds great flavor.
– Spices: Ground cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice can add a lovely warmth to the pudding.
– Raisins (optional): If you like raisins in your bread pudding, add them in.

Subheading 2: Choose the Right Bread

The bread you use for bread pudding should be stale. This makes it easy to absorb the custard mixture and gives the pudding a better overall texture and taste. Also, consider the type of bread you use. Brioche, challah, sourdough, and French bread are some of the best options for bread pudding. If using dense bread, cut it into smaller pieces to help it absorb the custard mixture.

Subheading 3: Preheat Your Oven

Before you start preparing the bread pudding, ensure that your oven is preheated to 350°F. This is the ideal temperature to bake the pudding at. Also, make sure the oven rack is in the center to have an even bake.

Subheading 4: Prepare Your Baking Dish

Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray. This prevents the bread pudding from sticking and also adds a delicious buttery flavor.

Subheading 5: Cut Bread into Cubes

Cut your stale bread into roughly 1-inch cubes. You want the pudding to have a good texture, so don’t make the bread pieces too small or too big.

Subheading 6: Make the Custard Mixture

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together your milk, cream, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and spices until well combined. This is your custard mixture.

Subheading 7: Add Bread Cubes to Custard

Add the bread cubes to the custard mixture and mix well until all the bread is evenly coated. Let the bread sit in the custard for about 10 minutes to allow it to soak in.

Subheading 8: Add Raisins (optional)

If you like raisins in your bread pudding, now is the time to add them in. Just mix them into the bread and custard mixture.

Subheading 9: Pour the Mixture into the Baking Dish

Once the bread is well-coated with the custard mixture, pour the entire mixture into the prepared baking dish, making sure it is evenly spread out.

Subheading 10: Bake the Bread Pudding

Bake the bread pudding in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until golden brown on the top and fully set. To check if it’s fully cooked, insert a knife into the center of the pudding, if it comes out clean, it’s done!

Conclusion:

Bread pudding from scratch is a delightful dessert that’s easy to make. With the help of these steps, you’ll have a warm and comforting dessert that you can enjoy on any occasion. Experimenting with different types of bread, seasoning, and toppings can offer unique flavors that’ll delight your taste buds. So, why not give it a try and tantalize your taste buds today.

Before starting the recipe, you must ensure that you have all the necessary ingredients at your fingertips. The following is a list of essential ingredients to make bread pudding from scratch:

1. Bread: Any type of bread can be used, but white bread or brioche works best for this recipe. The bread should be stale and cut into bite-sized pieces.

2. Milk: Whole or 2% milk is an excellent choice for the recipe. You can use non-dairy milk as well, such as almond or soy milk.

3. Eggs: The eggs bind the ingredients together and provide a creamy texture to the pudding.

4. Sugar: White granulated sugar works best to add sweetness to the pudding.

5. Butter: Unsalted butter creates a flavorful, rich pudding.

6. Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract adds a distinct flavor and aroma to the pudding.

7. Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds warmth and depth to the pudding.

8. Nutmeg: Nutmeg has a warm, nutty flavor that complements cinnamon well.

9. Raisins: If you are a fan of raisins, include them in the recipe to add chewy texture and natural sweetness.

10. Whipped cream: Optional, but whipped cream adds a delightful finishing touch to the pudding.

Make sure you have all the ingredients before you begin and check for any food allergies if serving to others.

Now that you have all the ingredients ready, let us move on to the directions of making bread pudding from scratch.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with butter.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

4. Place the bread pieces in a large mixing bowl and pour the egg mixture over the bread.

5. Add raisins (if using) to the mixture and combine well.

6. Let the mixture rest and soak for about 30 minutes to an hour.

7. Pour the bread pudding mixture into the greased baking dish.

8. Cut the remaining butter into small cubes and dot them over the top of the bread pudding.

9. Bake the pudding for 40-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the pudding is set.

10. Remove the pudding from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Bread pudding from scratch is a simple recipe that can be enjoyed for any occasion. You can even experiment with different flavors by adding fruits or chocolate chips to the recipe. With these simple ingredients and easy-to-follow directions, you can make delicious bread pudding that your family and friends will fall in love with.

Ingredients needed for the bread pudding:

When it comes to making bread pudding from scratch, there are a few key ingredients you’ll need such as:

Steps to making bread pudding:

Now that you have all the necessary ingredients, let’s move on to the steps involved in making bread pudding:

Step 1: Prepare the bread

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. While the oven is preheating, prepare the bread by cubing it into small pieces. Spread the bread pieces on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven for about 10 minutes or until they are crispy and golden brown.

Step 2: Prepare the custard mixture

Next, prepare the custard mixture by whisking together the melted unsalted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a mixing bowl until well combined.

Step 3: Combine the bread and custard mixture

Once the bread is toasted, transfer it to a 9×13 baking dish and spread it evenly. Pour the custard mixture over the bread, making sure to pour it evenly. If you decide to add raisins, sprinkle them over the top of the mixture.

Step 4: Bake the bread pudding

Let the bread mixture sit for about 15 minutes, allowing the bread to soak up the custard mixture. After, bake the dish in the oven, uncovered, for about 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the custard is set.

Step 5: Serve the bread pudding

Remove the bread pudding from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Slice it into pieces and serve it warm with your favorite toppings such as whipped cream, caramel sauce or even ice cream!

Conclusion

There you have it, five easy steps to making bread pudding from scratch with all the essential ingredients and a little something extra to spice it up. This tasty dessert is perfect for any occasion and will leave your friends and family asking for more. So get into the kitchen and give it a try!

Thank you so much for joining me on this bread pudding adventure! I hope you feel confident enough now to whip up your own batch from scratch. It’s always such a rewarding feeling to create something delicious and comforting with your own two hands. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to leave them in the comments. And don’t forget to come back and visit for more fun and easy recipes. Happy baking!