by Justin Burke

I’m a fan of bread pudding, but I often find it too soggy with no texture. Having had too many disappointing bread pudding experiences, I decided I should make my own. This recipe uses a spiced custard with just enough sweetness to balance additional toppings like ice cream or caramel sauce. The bread pudding alone leans more towards savory, letting the buttery bread shine. For texture, I avoid pouring all the custard in at once and instead gradually add it until it reaches the desired consistency. For extra crunch, I brûlée the top after baking. Give this recipe a try; whether you’re a bread pudding fan or not, the texture will not disappoint.

Brûléed Bread Pudding

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
1 loaf brioche, stale and torn into pieces
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups heavy cream
1½ cups whole milk
⅓ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions

1. Grease a loaf pan or 8×8-inch baking pan with baking spray or butter. Add stale bread, pressing down to compact the pieces together.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, heavy cream, milk, sugar, and salt until combined. Bring mixture to just a boil, reduce heat to simmer and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
3. In a medium bowl, add eggs and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the hot cinnamon-milk mixture, whisking continuously, until fully combined. Do not add the hot mixture all at once or you will scramble the eggs.
4. Carefully pour the custard over the bread, making sure to cover all the pieces. Stop when about halfway full and press the bread down again to compact. Add remaining custard to cover any dry area. Make sure not to “drown” the bread in custard, you just want an even layer of soaked bread. You might have leftover custard.
5. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the bread pudding from the refrigerator and discard plastic wrap. Press down on the bread again to compact and make as even a layer as possible. Add additional custard if needed. Smear the 2 tablespoons of butter over the top of the bread pudding and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
7. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the bread pudding is golden brown and custard is set. Then turn oven to broil and brûlée the top of the bread pudding for about 1 minute.
8. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream with caramel or butterscotch sauce poured on top.

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