Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Bread Pudding Base
- 450 g french bread or brioche, stale and cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 700 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 240 ml heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 60 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 15 ml vanilla extract
- 3 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g ground nutmeg
Lemon Sauce
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 120 ml water
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 1 large egg, well beaten
- 60 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 10 g lemon zest
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 621 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbohydrates
- 78 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 50 g
- Sodium
- 304 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 17 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 191 mg
- Potassium
- 298 mg
- Calcium
- 170 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 46 mg
- Phosphorus
- 247 mg
- Zinc
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 316 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.36 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.51 mg
- Niacin
- 2.3 mg
- Folate
- 76 mcg
- Water
- 167 g
- Alcohol
- 1 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease the 9x13 inch baking dish with butter.
Arrange the stale bread cubes in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
In the large mixing bowl, vigorously whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, four eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until the mixture is completely smooth.
Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Press the bread down gently with your hands so every piece absorbs the liquid, then let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Bake the pudding in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes until the custard is set, the top is golden brown, and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the pudding bakes, begin the lemon sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, granulated sugar, and butter over medium heat. Simmer and stir until the butter melts and the sugar completely dissolves.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. To temper the beaten egg, very slowly drizzle about 60ml of the hot sugar syrup into the egg while whisking continuously and vigorously.
Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot syrup. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly to coat the back of a spoon.
Remove the thickened sauce from the heat immediately. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
Allow the baked bread pudding to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, generously drizzled with the hot lemon sauce.
Chef's Notes
- Stale bread is absolutely crucial for a proper bread pudding because it acts like a sponge. If your bread is fresh, cut it into cubes and bake it at 120C or 250F for 15 minutes to dry it out before soaking.
- Tempering the egg for the lemon sauce is a vital step to prevent scrambled eggs. Never rush the process of introducing the hot liquid to the beaten raw egg.
- For an extra depth of flavor, you can lightly toast the ground cinnamon and nutmeg in the melted butter for 30 seconds before whisking them into the custard mixture.
- Do not skip pressing the bread down into the custard before the soak. The topmost pieces of bread should act like a wick, pulling the flavorful custard upward to create a beautifully browned, crusty top layer.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store the pudding and lemon sauce in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze the bread pudding tightly wrapped without the sauce. The lemon sauce does not freeze well due to the egg emulsion.
Reheating: Reheat pudding portions in a 150C/300F oven for 15 minutes or microwave in 30-second bursts. Gently warm sauce over low heat, do not boil.
Troubleshooting
Egg scrambled or curdled in the lemon sauce
Cause: Hot liquid was added to the egg too quickly without sufficient whisking
Fix: Pour the finished sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove the cooked egg pieces before serving
Prevention: Drizzle the hot syrup very slowly while whisking the egg constantly to gently raise its temperature
Pudding is dry and unappealing
Cause: Bread was not stale enough to absorb liquid, or the resting time was skipped
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked; serve with extra lemon sauce to add moisture
Prevention: Always use day-old bread or dry fresh bread in a low oven, and allow the full 20 minutes of soaking time
Pudding is soggy and excessively wet in the center
Cause: Pudding was underbaked or the baking dish was too small, making the layer too thick
Fix: Cover loosely with aluminum foil and return to the oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes
Prevention: Ensure oven is fully preheated and bake until the center registers 74 degrees Celsius or 165 degrees Fahrenheit
Cultural Context
Bread pudding has deep roots in Southern American cuisine as a frugal yet highly decadent way to repurpose stale bread that would otherwise go to waste. The addition of a bright, zesty lemon sauce provides a refreshing, tart contrast to the dense, warming spices of the custard, making it a beloved dessert that transitions beautifully into the cooler fall months.
