Equipment
Ingredients
Squash Base
- 500 g butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1.5cm dice
- 15 ml olive oil
- 2 g fresh thyme, finely chopped
Aromatics
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 150 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic, minced
Bread and Custard
- 400 g french bread, stale, cut into 2.5cm cubes
- 4 eggs, large, room temperature
- 250 ml whole milk
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 100 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated, divided
- 1 g ground nutmeg
- 8 g kosher salt
- 3 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 412 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbohydrates
- 37 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 784 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 148 mg
- Potassium
- 457 mg
- Calcium
- 278 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 64 mg
- Phosphorus
- 289 mg
- Zinc
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 568 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 15 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.37 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.42 mg
- Niacin
- 2.8 mg
- Folate
- 84 mcg
- Water
- 160 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200 C / 400 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup if desired.
Toss the diced butternut squash with olive oil, 3g of kosher salt, and 1g of black pepper on the baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes until the squash is tender and caramelized at the edges.
Reduce the oven temperature to 175 C / 350 F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish lightly with butter.
Melt the unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and saute for 5 minutes until translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and fresh thyme, cooking for 1 additional minute until fragrant. Remove from heat.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, 50g of the grated Parmesan cheese, ground nutmeg, the remaining 5g of salt, and the remaining 2g of black pepper until the custard base is smooth and well combined.
Add the cubed French bread, the roasted butternut squash, and the sauteed onion mixture into the bowl with the custard. Gently fold the ingredients together until the bread is thoroughly coated. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid.
Transfer the soaked bread mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 50g of Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
Bake in the 175 C / 350 F oven for 35 to 40 minutes. The pudding is done when it is puffed, the top is deeply golden brown, and the center is set, registering an internal temperature of 74 C / 165 F to ensure the eggs are fully cooked.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the bread pudding rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. This allows the custard to carryover cook slightly and firm up for cleaner portions.
Chef's Notes
- For exceptional texture contrast, tear your French bread by hand instead of slicing it with a knife. The jagged, uneven edges catch the heat and create exquisitely crispy bits on the surface.
- If your bread is bought fresh on the day of cooking, cut it into cubes and toast it on a baking sheet in a 120 C / 250 F oven for 15 minutes to dry it out completely before soaking.
- Always grate your Parmesan cheese from a fresh block right before using it. Pre-grated cheeses are coated with anti-caking starches that prevent a smooth, luxurious melt in the custard.
- This dish is an excellent make-ahead option. You can assemble the pudding entirely, cover it tightly, and refrigerate it overnight. If baking straight from the fridge, simply add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store tightly covered with foil or plastic wrap.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze unbaked or baked. If baked, cool completely before wrapping tightly.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175 C / 350 F oven until warmed through and crisp on top.
Troubleshooting
Bread pudding is too dry or dense after baking
Cause: The bread was too fresh to absorb the custard, or the resting period before baking was skipped
Fix: Serve with a warm cream sauce or turkey gravy to add moisture upon plating
Prevention: Ensure bread is truly stale or dried in a low oven, and always allow a full 15 minutes for the bread to soak up the custard before transferring to the dish
Top is burning while the center is still liquid
Cause: Oven temperature is running too high or the baking dish is placed too close to the upper heating element
Fix: Tent the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking until the center sets
Prevention: Use an oven thermometer to verify temperature and bake in the center rack
Cultural Context
Bread pudding originated in early 11th-century Europe as a frugal, resourceful method for cooks to repurpose stale bread rather than letting it go to waste. While the dish is traditionally associated with sweet dessert applications, modern culinary movements have eagerly embraced the savory strata. By folding robust autumnal ingredients like roasted squash and hard cheeses into the custardy base, it elevates a humble, rustic preservation technique into a sophisticated and comforting centerpiece fit for holiday feasts like Thanksgiving.
