Equipment
Ingredients
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 600 g butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
- 500 g yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 3 g fresh thyme, leaves only, chopped
- 5 g fresh sage, finely chopped
Custard & Binding
- 500 ml whole milk
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 5 large egg
- 200 g gruyere cheese, grated
- 50 g parmesan cheese, grated
Pantry & Base
- 400 g sourdough bread, stale, cut or torn into cubes
- 45 ml olive oil
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 8 g kosher salt
- 3 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 g ground nutmeg
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 784 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbohydrates
- 59 g
- Fat
- 47 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 12 g
- Sodium
- 1699 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 24 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 17 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 264 mg
- Potassium
- 742 mg
- Calcium
- 669 mg
- Iron
- 2.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 80 mg
- Phosphorus
- 499 mg
- Zinc
- 2.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 951 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 29 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 10 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.24 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.59 mg
- Niacin
- 1.5 mg
- Folate
- 73 mcg
- Water
- 306 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss the cubed butternut squash with 30ml of olive oil, 3g of salt, and 1g of black pepper. Spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes until tender and lightly browned. Remove and reduce the oven temperature to 175°C/350°F.
While the squash roasts, heat the butter and remaining 15ml of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and fresh thyme. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and caramelized, about 30 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, minced garlic, fresh sage, remaining 5g of salt, remaining 2g of black pepper, and ground nutmeg until completely combined.
Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add the stale bread cubes, roasted butternut squash, caramelized onions, and half of both the Gruyere and Parmesan cheeses. Toss gently to distribute the ingredients evenly.
Pour the egg custard mixture evenly over the bread and vegetable mixture. Press down lightly to ensure all bread is submerged. Let the dish rest at room temperature for 15 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid. Top evenly with the remaining cheeses.
Bake in the preheated 175°C/350°F oven for 45 minutes, or until the custard is set, the top is deeply golden brown, and the internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F.
Remove the bread pudding from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. This allows the custard to carryover cook and set properly for clean slices.
Chef's Notes
- For the best texture, tear the sourdough loaf into rustic chunks by hand rather than slicing it with a knife. The jagged, uneven edges create significantly more surface area for crisping up in the oven.
- True caramelized onions require patience and low heat. Resist the urge to turn the heat up to rush the process, as you will end up with sauteed or burnt onions rather than the complex, sweet jam consistency required here.
- If preparing for a holiday meal like Thanksgiving, you can assemble the entire dish up to the point of baking, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time if going straight from the fridge to the oven.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store tightly wrapped or in an airtight container.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze in individual portions for best results.
Reheating: Cover tightly with foil and bake at 175°C/350°F until heated through, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Troubleshooting
Bread pudding is too soggy or watery at the bottom
Cause: Bread was not thoroughly stale, or vegetables released too much excess moisture into the custard
Fix: Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes uncovered to evaporate excess moisture
Prevention: Ensure bread is very dry (toast in a low oven for 15 minutes if needed) and that onions are cooked down to a thick jammy consistency
Top layer of bread is burnt but custard is runny
Cause: Oven temperature was too high or dish was placed too close to the heating element
Fix: Cover the top loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking until the center reaches 74 degrees Celsius
Prevention: Bake on the middle rack and verify oven temperature with an independent thermometer
Cultural Context
Savory bread puddings, historically known as stratas, trace their roots back to European peasant cooking as a practical and delicious method to repurpose leftover, hardening bread. In modern French and Mediterranean cooking, incorporating rich elements like Gruyere cheese, heavy cream, and aromatic caramelized vegetables elevates these humble origins into a luxurious, souffle-like dish. It is highly favored during the colder months and holiday gatherings as a substantial vegetarian centerpiece.
