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)
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.
