Use these bread pudding do’s and don’ts to avoid serving your guests goop

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Auntie made the best bread pudding. 

Light, fluffy, and flavorful, it was the gold medal of bread pudding. Forget the rice pudding; that didn’t stand a chance next to the golden and slightly crisp deliciousness covered with a sweet butter sauce. 

She didn’t invent bread pudding, but hers was so good she might as well have.

Bread pudding has its origins in 11th-century England, when people soaked stale bread in hot water, squeezed out the liquid, and then added spices and sugar.

Over time, bread pudding evolved into a savory dish made with a custard of milk or cream and eggs.

We’ve learned what makes the best bread pudding and how using the wrong bread, pan or ingredients can turn an anticipated tasty treat into distasteful goo.

No one wants to see goo at the table, and you surely don’t want to be the person admitting to Auntie that, yup, you made that.

If you love to make (and eat) bread pudding, follow these recipe do’s and don’ts and make Auntie — and the rest of the fam — proud. 

The do’s and don’ts of bread pudding

• Do use day(s)-old white bread
• Don’t use fresh or whole-grain bread.

Picking the right bread will be the difference between a silky sweet texture and the aforementioned goo. The custard will break down fresh bread and turn it into mush. It’s best to get a loaf of day-old bread from your local supermarket and then let it sit out for another two to three days. The bread will get hard, and that’s what you want. The harder bread will absorb that custard and won’t break down. Any non-sliced white bread, like sourdough, French, or Challah will do. Using thin, sliced bread doesn’t have enough heft and will likely lead to a mushy pudding.

The strong taste of whole grain breads overshadows the custard and the grains. More importantly, the denser whole grain breads don’t absorb the custard as well.

• Do let the bread pudding soak until the bread absorbs all the liquid.
• Don’t rush.

Bread pudding is like a fantastic date — don’t rush anything. The bread needs time to absorb the custard and that will take at least 30 minutes. However, an overnight soak in the refrigerator makes for a more flavorful and creamy bread pudding that you can have for breakfast or dessert.

• Do use whole milk, half and half, cream or condensed milk.
• Don’t use low-fat milk.

Technically, you can put any milk in bread pudding. You’ll find recipes that use almond or coconut milk and that’ll work for people with specific dietary requirements. But whole milk adds more flavor, isn’t as runny, and absorbs better. 

• Do make a sauce.
• Don’t make a sauce that’s too sweet.

This is a delicate balance. You don’t want to slather your pudding in sauce, and you don’t want a sauce that’s too sweet, especially if you’re using condensed milk. A flavorful sauce low in sugar will complement your dish.

• Do use the right pan.
• Don’t overfill the pan.

The recipe below calls for an 8-inch glass baking pan. Glass pans always work best because darker pans absorb heat faster and will burn the bottom of the bread pudding.

Overfilling pans with any food leads to a mess because your food will overflow.

Now that you know at least some of the do’s and don’ts, this classic recipe will give you a start on how to make your pudding. This recipe calls for optional chocolate chips, though home cooks also use dried fruit or nuts.

Classic chocolate chip bread pudding with a bourbon vanilla sauce

8-inch, square, glass-bottomed pan, buttered

2 tablespoons butter or margarine to butter the pan

5 cups of cubed white bread that’s at least 1 day old

2 cups of whole milk, half and half, or cream

4 large eggs, beaten 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

1. Generously butter an 8-inch, square, glass-bottomed pan. Set aside. 
2. Cube (or tear) the bread. Place it in the butter baking dish.
3. In a large bowl, add the milk, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Stir, then pour over the bread.
4. Using a spoon or spatula, push the bread down until the custard covers all the bread.
5. (Optional) Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the bread pudding. 
6. Cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes. You can also cover the dish and place it in the refrigerator overnight. 

To cook the bread pudding

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the bread pudding for about 1 hour until set. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature (though some prefer warm bread pudding).

Bourbon vanilla sauce

INGREDIENTS 

1/4 cup bourbon 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter 

1/4 cup heavy cream

1. While the bread pudding cools, prepare the sauce. Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat and cook until combined and simmering. Turn off the heat.
2. Once the bread pudding has cooled, either pour the sauce over the bread pudding or make it available on the side. The sauce recipe easily doubles.

NOTE: If you can’t have alcohol, substitute heavy cream for the bourbon, meaning the revised recipe will have 1/2 cup of cream. You may elect to use a little more vanilla in this version.

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