Classic Bread Pudding with Buttery Sauce Recipe
This classic bread pudding recipe transforms stale challah or brioche bread into a rich, custardy dessert topped with a golden crust and optional buttery sauce. Perfect for using up leftover bread, it combines warm spices, creamy custard, and a decadent sauce to create a timeless comfort food treat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Bread Pudding
- 16 oz stale Challah or brioche bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ tsp table salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups (354 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (236 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tbsp (28 g) cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar (optional, for topping)
Buttery Sauce (Optional)
- 4 tbsp (57 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C) to ensure it reaches the perfect temperature for baking the bread pudding.
- Mix Sugar and Butter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together light brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt until fully combined and smooth.
- Add Eggs: Crack in the eggs and whisk thoroughly until the mixture is uniform and slightly thickened.
- Incorporate Dairy: Pour in the whole milk and heavy cream, whisking continuously until the custard base is smooth and well blended.
- Combine with Bread: Gently add the cubed stale challah or brioche bread to the custard mixture and toss carefully to coat each cube evenly without breaking them apart.
- Transfer to Baking Dish: Pour the soaked bread and custard mixture into a 2.5-quart casserole dish, ensuring all the liquid is transferred.
- Top with Butter and Sugar: Dot the top of the mixture with small pieces of cold butter and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if using, to add a crispy, caramelized crust.
- Bake the Pudding: Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes until the top is golden brown and the center remains slightly jiggly, indicating a perfect custard texture.
- Prepare the Buttery Sauce (Optional): While the pudding bakes, combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently until the sugar dissolves.
- Cook the Sauce: Increase the heat to medium, bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly to prevent burning, then immediately remove from heat once boiling.
- Finish the Sauce: Stir in the vanilla extract and let the sauce cool for 10 minutes; it will thicken as it cools, perfect for drizzling.
- Serve: Once the bread pudding is warm out of the oven, drizzle half of the buttery sauce over the top and serve the remaining sauce on the side for extra indulgence.
Notes
- Use stale bread for the best texture; fresh bread may result in a soggier pudding.
- Turbinado sugar on top adds a delightful crunch but is optional.
- The buttery sauce is optional but highly recommended for added richness.
- Allow the pudding to cool slightly before serving for easier slicing and better custard setting.
- This recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated, then reheated before serving.
Keywords: bread pudding, dessert, challah bread, brioche bread, custard dessert, classic bread pudding, easy dessert
