American
Oven Bread Pudding
Day-old bread soaks in a cinnamon custard and bakes until the center is set. The middle should read hot and fully cooked, not wet and runny.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Stale bread drinks the custard. Fresh soft bread turns to mush.
- A rest before the oven lets the cubes soak all the way through.
- The center is done at 170°F, when it is set and no longer liquid.
- A short rest after baking lets the custard finish thickening.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 350°F. Use a little of the melted butter to grease a 2-quart baking dish. Save the rest for the top.
- 2
Put the cubed bread and raisins in the dish.
- 3
Whisk the milk, heavy cream, eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until the sugar dissolves.
- 4
Pour the custard over the bread. Press the cubes down gently. Let it stand 20 minutes so the bread soaks.
- 5
Drizzle the melted butter over the top.
- 6
Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden and puffed and the center is set, not jiggly or wet.
- 7
An instant-read thermometer in the center should read at least 170°F. If it is lower, bake longer and check again.
- 8
Cool 15 minutes before spooning. The pudding firms as it sits. Serve 8 portions.
Pro tips
- If the top browns too fast, tent foil for the last 15 minutes.
- Challah or brioche makes a richer pudding. A plain sandwich loaf works if it is dried out.
- A liquid center means it needs more time, even if the top looks done.
Easy substitutions
- raisins
- dried cranberries
- heavy cream
- more whole milk, using 3 cups milk total
- ground nutmeg
- an extra 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate covered up to 4 days.
Reheating
Warm a portion in a 325°F oven for 12 minutes, until hot in the center, or microwave 45 seconds and stir.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 316
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
Budget friendly · Oven
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From the kitchen
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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