Hi Everyone! The Kitchen Wench is at it again. I am sharing a closely-guarded family secret recipe. There are only a few people that have this recipe. I may be disowned for sharing such precious information. Actually, that is not entirely true. Ok, it is not even remotely true. This particular bread pudding recipe is my variation of the one that my mom used and that my sisters use. Mom got the recipe from a friend and I believe that it has been published in a community cookbook at some time. Soooo, I guess that quite a few people have the base recipe. But, my point is that this is a family favorite and is much requested at holiday gatherings and potlucks. It feels like it belongs to our family. It is requested a lot, but it seems so much more special if you don’t make it all the time. But, you totally could make it frequently. I know that I could because I always seem to have leftover breads or rolls lying around (my thighs love carbs of all kinds). I stow them away in the frig (the bread, not my thighs) and think that I will use them to make bread pudding. I usually don’t, and they end up being consumed by our chickens. I just feel better knowing that I could make this wonderful dessert any time that I want. It is only moderately time-consuming, and you probably have most of the ingredients at your home already. Heirloom bread pudding is a creamy custard-style pudding that is slightly sweet with a lovely vanilla flavor. The addition of the vanilla sauce makes it even more delicious, especially when served warm.
The difference between my version of this recipe and the original is that I add more bread chunks which makes a more solid pudding. It is still very custardy and moist, but my kids and husband prefer less jiggle and more of the velvety feel of the bread soaked in the custard.
You will need some leftover bread. You can use pretty much anything that is not flavored with garlic, onion or cheese. You could use a sweet bread flavored with fruit or chocolate. Just don’t use a savory bread, for obvious reasons. I like to use yeast rolls, Hawaiian rolls, sandwich bread, croissants or brioche. This time I used yeast rolls and Hawaiian rolls mixed. If the bread is not already stale you should tear it into small chunks and lay it out on a cookie sheet. Let this sit on the counter uncovered for a couple of hours or overnight to get good and dry. The dry bread will soak up more of the custard than if it were still soft. If you don’t have a couple of hours, then just put it in the oven on a very low temp for about 15 minutes.
You will also need some whole milk, sugar, salt, butter, eggs and vanilla for the bread pudding.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter or lightly coat with cooking spray a 2-quart glass baking dish. You will also need a larger pan that the 2-quart dish can fit into with a little space around the edges. This time I used a large disposable foil pan that my baking dish fit in with about an inch or so to spare. I sat the foil pan on a large cookie sheet for stability. Now this all seems kind of complicated, but it isn’t really. The bread pudding needs to bake in a water bath. That simply means that water needs to surround the pan during the baking process so that a custard forms from the liquid and everything stays nice and moist. If you don’t do this, you will have something more like a cake than a custard. Put 6 cups of bread chunks in the greased baking dish. Press them down slightly to make room for the custard mixture. Set all of this aside while you prepare the custard.
Ok, now here comes some more stuff that seems complicated but isn’t. Not at all. You need to add the 4 cups of milk to a saucepan and scald it. I know, right? Scald it? That phrase used to scare me to death until I asked my mom what that meant. She said to just heat it over medium high heat until tiny bubbles form all around the edge of the pan. Then remove it from the heat. That’s it! Nothing scary there.
So, anyway, when your milk has formed tiny bubbles around the edge remove it from the heat and stir in 1 cup of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of salt and 2 Tablespoons of butter. Stir until everything is melted and combined. In a separate small bowl beat the 4 eggs well. Now, whisk a very thin stream of the eggs into the hot milk mixture. Pour very slowly and whisk constantly or the eggs will cook. Once you have all of the eggs added, stir in the vanilla.
Pour this mixture over the bread chunks that are waiting in the baking dish. Try to pour the custard mixture over all of the bread and then for good measure just press down on the bread a little so that everything is moistened. You can see in the picture below how I constructed the water bath from the two pans. This was seated securely on a rimmed baking sheet for stability.
Carefully add hot water to the outer pan around the edges of the bread pudding pan. I heated some water in my tea kettle and poured the water in with that, but you can also use a glass measuring cup with water heated in the microwave. Just pour carefully so that you don’t burn yourself or get water in the pudding mixture. Make sure that the water level is the same as the level of the pudding in the baking dish. Ah ha! Now you know why I said to use a glass baking dish. It is easier to see the level of the bread pudding. Transfer both pans on the baking sheet to the preheated oven. I tend to add the water right next to my oven so that I don’t have far to go. I am a bit klutzy. I do not trust myself to get all the way across the room without making a mess. Bake for 1 hour or until firm. The pudding will be golden brown on top. A table knife inserted in the middle will come out with just a little bit of custardy crumbs clinging to it.
Spoon into serving dishes. This can be served warm or cold with vanilla sauce. Cover any leftovers and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To make the vanilla sauce you will need ½ cup of sugar, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1 cup of boiling water, 2 Tablespoons of butter, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg and ⅛ teaspoon of salt.
Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Bring the cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the sugar/cornstarch mixture slowly while stirring constantly. Bring this to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. This takes about 5 minutes. It should be about the consistency of gravy or pancake syrup. When the mixture has thickened remove it from the heat and add the butter, vanilla, nutmeg and salt. Stir until all is melted and combined.
Pour this sauce over individual servings of the bread pudding. This can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator and reheated when needed. I usually make a double batch of the sauce, but it isn’t necessary. Unless you are like me and really love this sauce. See how scrumptious this is? Heirloom bread pudding is a soft, vanilla-spiked, comforting, sweet bowl of love. Serve this to friends and family and you will definitely feel the love.
Heirloom Bread Pudding
Heirloom bread pudding is a creamy custard-style pudding that is slightly sweet with a lovely vanilla flavor. The addition of the vanilla sauce makes it even more delicious, especially when served warm.
Ingredients
- 6 cups stale bread chunks
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Step 2 Butter or spray with cooking spray a 2-quart glass baking dish. You will also need a larger pan that the 2-quart dish can fit into with a little space around the edges and a baking sheet that both of these pans sit on for stability.
- Step 3 Put 6 cups of bread chunks in the greased baking dish. Press them down slightly to make room for the custard mixture. Set all of this aside while you prepare the custard.
- Step 4 Scald the milk in a medium sauce pan by heating it over medium high heat until tiny bubbles form all around the edge of the pan. Then remove it from the heat.
- Step 5 Stir in 1 cup of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of salt and 2 Tablespoons of butter. Stir until everything is melted and combined.
- Step 6 In a separate small bowl beat the 4 eggs well.
- Step 7 Whisk a very thin stream of the eggs into the hot milk mixture. Pour very slowly and whisk constantly or the eggs will cook.
- Step 8 Once you have all of the eggs added, stir in the vanilla.
- Step 9 Pour this mixture over the bread chunks that are waiting in the baking dish. Try to pour the custard mixture over all of the bread and then for good measure just press down on the bread a little so that everything is moistened.
- Step 10 Carefully add hot water to the outer baking pan around the edges of the bread pudding pan. Make sure that the water level is the same as the level of the pudding in the baking dish.
- Step 11 Bake for 1 hour or until firm. The pudding will be golden brown on top. A table knife inserted in the middle will come out with just a little bit of custardy crumbs clinging to it.
- Step 12 Spoon into serving dishes.
Vanilla Sauce
This sauce is a wonderful addition to the bread pudding but could also be used for other baked goods. It is creamy and vanilla-spiked with just a hint of nutmeg.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon (or less) nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Step 1 Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Step 2 Bring the cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Step 3 Add the sugar/cornstarch mixture slowly while stirring constantly.
- Step 4 Bring this to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. This takes about 5 minutes.
- Step 5 When the mixture has thickened remove it from the heat and add the butter, vanilla, nutmeg and salt. Stir until all is melted and combined.
