Bread pudding is stale bread's redemption arc. Cubes soak in a spiced custard, bake until puffed and golden, and taste like fall even when the loaf started as sandwich heels.
Pantry-friendly here means swaps are welcome. Amounts are still listed so you can cook without guessing.
Yield: 8 servings · Time: 20 min · 45-50 min bake
Ingredients
Pudding
- 6 cups cubed stale bread (about 10 oz)
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup cream or more milk
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp butter for pan + dots on top
- Optional ½ cup raisins
Steps
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a baking dish. Cube the bread and spread in the dish. Dried-out bread soaks better than fresh.
- Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Pour over the bread. Press gently so every cube gets wet. Rest 15 minutes.
- Optional: scatter raisins, chopped apple, or chocolate chips on top. Bake 40 to 50 minutes until the center is set and the top is golden. Rest 10 minutes.
Use-what-you-have swaps
- Challah or brioche if that is the stale loaf
Serve / store
Warm with a drizzle of cream or maple. Fridge up to 4 days. Reheat covered. If you are packing this for a party or school event, transport in a lidded container and add final toppings on site when you can. Note major allergens on a piece of tape on the lid when you are feeding a group.
Brioche or challah makes it rich. Plain sandwich bread makes it honest. Both work. Tip from our chaotic kitchen: read the ingredient list once before you start, preheat before you mix wet and dry, and set a timer even when you think you will remember. Taste as you go when the recipe allows it, and write a note on the recipe card if you changed a spice amount so next time is easier.
Photo/Image credit: Pexels via Pexels (Bread pudding) (Pexels License (free to use))
