Support the site — ☕ Buy me a coffee
Spiced bread and butter pudding
I bought too much sourdough from the bakery last month. It happened again this week: a loaf sitting on my counter for two days while I cooked dinner, then suddenly I'm cubing it up with no plan.Bread and butter pudding is what happens when stale bread meets eggs and cream — the kind of dish that's been around forever but keeps turning up as my go-to. The custard soaks into those crusty bits and comes out golden on top, soft underneath. I make it in a 9x13 dish because it feeds four people with leftovers for breakfast.The trick is letting the bread absorb the custard before baking. I pull it together while dinner cooks, then walk away until that caramelized sugar crust forms — about twenty minutes. Pulling it from the oven at exactly 170°F in the center keeps it from overcooking, which is what turns this into a puddle instead of a pudding.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly butter a 9x13 baking dish.
- Toss the bread cubes with softened butter in a large bowl until evenly coated. Spread them on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, turning once, until golden on the edges. This gives you that nice crust while keeping centers soft.
- While bread toasts, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl until smooth. Don't worry about tiny bits of yolk — they'll blend right in during baking.
- Arrange toasted bread cubes in the prepared dish in an even layer. Slowly pour custard over bread, pressing down gently with a spatula so every piece gets soaked. Let sit for 10 minutes (this is the secret step).
- Sprinkle brown sugar evenly across the top and place in oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes until puffed and golden — I use an instant-read thermometer to check that center hits 170°F, which means it's done but still creamy.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving. The edges will be crisp, the middle custardy. Serve warm with a dollop of cream if you're feeling fancy.
Nutrition
Notes
Tips & notes:
- Bread that's a day old works best — it won't turn to mush when the custard soaks in. I keep extras in my pantry for days like this.
- For a richer pudding, use half-and-half instead of milk and add an extra egg yolk.
- Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for individual portions (30 seconds) or oven at 325°F for 10 minutes.
![](https://haleyskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/haleys-book-transp.png"){kind=spacer}
