Bread Pudding: Tips & Techniques

[coffeeroaster]

This is the most delicious thread I've ever read.

[Joni]

dexygus....if you wouldn't mind posting yours/Emily's recipe...that would be appreciated greatly!

[dexygus]

sure joni, here goes.

i use the following chocolate cake:

adapted from Douglas Rodriguez' Black Chocolate Cake

8 ounces unsalted butter, slightly softened

2 3/4 cups granulated sugar, plus more for pan

5 eggs, at room temp

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 cups AP flour

1 cup + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa (Valrhona and Cacao Barry extra brute have worked well)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk, at room temp.

Grease 12-cup bundt pan, or a couple loaf pans, and dust with extra amount of sugar. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugar til light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Sift the dry ingredients, then add to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Pour into pan/s, and bake until the middle of the cake springs back when you press it lightly.

Chocolate Caramel Bread Pudding

from Emily Luchetti's Four-Star Desserts

6 large egg yolks

4 large eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 cups milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

6 cups chocolate cake cubes, each about 1/2" in size

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk eggs, yolks, and salt lightly in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a saucepan, scald the cream and milk. Set aside.

For the caramel, combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. (I like to use hot tap water to help the sugar dissolve. It's ok if you use more water; it'll evaporate anyway. Make sure there are no sugar crystals clinging to the side of the pan.) Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase to high and cook until it becomes dark amber brown. (Once the sugar starts cooking, don't agitate. But, once it starts to color, it's ok to stir.) Remove from heat, and let cool for a few seconds. Slowly whisk cream mixture into the caramel. Be careful of the sputter.

Slowly whisk this mixture into the egg mixture, being careful not to cook the eggs. Strain.

Place chocolate cubes in a 2 1/2 quart ovenproof baking dish, and pour the caramel over the the cake. (I like to make these in individual ramekins. It cooks faster too) Place dish in a larger baking dish, and place in the oven. Fill the outer pan with hot water until it comes halfway up the side of the inner pan. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out almost completely clean.

Edited August 31, 2004 by dexygus (log)

[Kapuliperson]

I like to put all kinds of cheese (regular/goat/parmesan/cheddar), raisins, nuts, and even oats sometimes.

[memesuze]

dexygus, looks wonderful, but I'm not clear on the approximate cooking time for the individual ramekins or the 2.5 quart baking dish....

[Bond Girl]

You guys are cruel.....this is not a thread I should be reading because the next thing I know I'd be making bread pudding and heating up my already hot apartment.

[Joni]

dexygus...thanks so much..you will make me a star at the next food gathering!

[dexygus]

memesuze, for the large baking dish, luchetti suggests 55-60 minutes. iirc, the one time i made this bread pudding in a large dish, it took a bit longer than that. but of course, your oven and the dimensions of your dish will dictate how long it will take.

as for the small ramekins, i can't say for sure. what i normally do is let it bake for maybe 15-20 minutes or so, then check it. depending on how close it looks to being done, i will check again in 5-10 more minutes. and the checking can go on multiple times because as with most, possibly all, custards, you want to pull them out of the oven as soon as they're barely set, so you get the softest, smoothest texture possible. hope this helps.

joni, i hope you get raves.

[PastryLady]

O.k. finally posted some recipes today, one including the bread pudding. For the chocolate I used Noel's 58.5% and for the rum raisin I used white raisins and about a fifth of spiced rum. Bring it on! Thank you for all your contributions too, I have written down the suggestions for future parties, but can't get too weird for 30 person group of all ages. Just click on my name to see the recipies.

[BrooksNYC]

Traditional Creole bread pudding is one of my favorite desserts. Might there be a way to transcribe a conventional recipe so as to insure more consistent results?

The wildcard in any bread pudding is the bread. Bread with too dense a crumb will produce a doorstop pudding. Nor is it enough for a recipe to specify, for example, "French" bread. Ten different bakeries will produce ten different loaves of "French."

Conventional recipes for bread pudding will usually call for "X cups of stale bread, cut into half-inch cubes." Is measuring bread the best way to insure that ten cooks using ten different breads will get similar results? What about weighing the bread instead of measuring it? I'm not a professional baker, so I'm not really sure what's critical here. Volume of bread in the pan? Absorbency? I'd be grateful if one of you pros would chime in on this.

My New Orleans grandmother had a great cook who cooked entirely by feel. She'd made her bread pudding so many times that "French bread as long as two hands, minus a couple of inches," was as precise as she needed to be. Even after I'd translated "hands" into "cups," my attempts to replicate her pudding resulted in one airy triumph and one brick. In the case of the brick, I'd used the right measurements, but the wrong bread.

Thanks for your help!

[Wendy DeBord]

Well you've got the details all correct. I also go by feel and I bet most other professionals do.

The only way to get things down to a science and have a recipe 'exact' regardless of who's making it, is by trial and taking good notes. Your right, it all depends upon your bread and your baking and no two people will do exactly the same.

I work from the opposite side of the recipe. Instead of paying close attention to my bread I pay close attention to my base (cream, egg, vanilla etc..) to which I use several different breads depending upon my goals. I'm also not worried about having a little left over (or garbage) of either base or bread so I'm not attempting to hit the exact volumes. I'd rather hit the right consistancy in my pudding............and your right-depending upon the bread that day it might absorb more then the day before. You can go by either weight or volume........but the breads moisture and density will vary and that makes the amount of base needed a variable.

I put a reasonable amount of bread cubes in my pan, then I pour over it, my base. Using my hands I press down on the bread a little to get it to absorb my base. Then I watch and see how that goes. I'll give it a half hour or so to soak up my base. If there's alot of liquid remaining that didn't get absorbed into my bread I add more bread. If the bread soaks up all my liquid and looks very firm, I add more base. That's the "by feel" portion of creating this.

If you use the same bread and the same base repeatedly you will be able to figure out how much of each is perfect for your likings as your grandmother did.

I hope this has been helpful to you. Your on the right track.

[Patrick S]

Is measuring bread the best way to insure that ten cooks using ten different breads will get similar results? What about weighing the bread instead of measuring it? I'm not a professional baker, so I'm not really sure what's critical here. Volume of bread in the pan? Absorbency? I'd be grateful if one of you pros would chime in on this.

←

I'm no pro, and I don't have any advice to offer, but just wanted to say that as I understand your question, the density of bread would important, because 2 breads could be of equal volume but have very different weights, depending on their density. Likewise, 2 breads of equal weight could have very different volumes, depending on density. But, 2 breads of equal volume and density would necessarily have the same weight, and 2 breads of equal weight and density would necessarily have the same volumes. So, if for some reason you wanted ten cooks to get exactly the same results, or nearly so, I guess you'd have to specify density (in grams per cubic centimer) and volume or density and weight.

[BrooksNYC]

Wendy, I really appreciate your reply, and thanks. It helps to know your way around a kitchen, doesn't it? You have a fearlessness that all experienced cooks have. I love food, but don't spend much time in the kitchen; consequently, cooking worries me. When I cook, I worry about getting it "right." It goes without saying that I'd worry less if I spent more time in the kitchen!

Now that you mention it, I do recall my grandmother's cook making last-minute adjustments to the pudding before it went into the oven. I hadn't remembered that. I think she was inclined to add too little bread at the onset, rather than too much. Then, after letting the bread soak, she'd add more, if necessary, before baking. Just what you're saying, in other words.

As a point of interest having nothing to do with bread measurements, she made her pudding in a pyrex casserole (5-6 quarts, maybe?) instead of a shallow pan. And the casserole sat in a water bath as it baked.

She also used a technique I've never encountered in any other bread pudding recipe. Twenty minutes into baking, she'd stir the pudding so that the outer edges of the pudding, which were beginning to firm up, would get folded into the center. At the same time, any fruit that had sunk to the bottom of the casserole would be redistributed. From that point on, she'd repeat this stirring every ten minutes until the pudding was done (about 45 minutes total, in a 300-degree oven).

Most bread puddings are sliced -- this one is scooped.

Thanks again for your help!

Whoa......Patrick just posted. Thanks, Patrick.

Yep, you understand my question perfectly. And thanks to Wendy, I'm seeing that bread pudding is not an exact science. Her advice to stay loose, take notes, and use the same bread every time seems sane and sound.

Edited February 17, 2005 by BrooksNYC (log)

[BrooksNYC]

Oh, and Patrick? Your Sticky Toffee Pudding looks killer!

[Patrick S]

Oh, and Patrick? Your Sticky Toffee Pudding looks killer!

←

Thanks, dude. And I swear, it really did taste as good as it looked!

[Wendy DeBord]

Ha..........and all this time I thought I was doing something no one else does......cause I too stir around my pudding during baking!!! Swear to god.

The edges do set before the center and also the custard can sink to the bottom while the bread rises to the top. Although I only stir it once (more like pat down the bread into the custard), I bake at 325F covered in foil (usually I uncover it for the last couple minutes like a turkey).

I bet your Grandmother made some darn good bread pudding! I make mine using my left over caramel pecan rolls.

[andiesenji]

First of all let me stated that I make a lot of bread pudding.

I have specific amounts of the other ingredients, however the amount of bread can vary with atmospheric conditions, the bread itself and perhaps even the phase of the moon. (Or from the way your quirk your eyebrow, for all I know. When I was a child our cook would scold the kitchen help if they frowned while making some dishes. A superstition, but one that apparently did affect some dishes, may as well play it safe!)

This is the way I do it.

I use softer breads, often homemade brioche, or panettone, or King's Hawaiian sweet bread, usually the rolls which I buy in the large packages at Smart & Final.

I pull them into more or less bite-sized pieces and let them rest on a tray for an hour or so to stale a bit but not get hard.

Meanwhile I mix, in a very large bowl the following:

4 eggs + 2 egg yolks, beat till creamy

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 cup sweet sherry (optional)

2 loaves of Hawaiian sweet bread or better yet, two packages of rolls

or one large package of rolls, if you can shop at Smart & Final.

Tear the bread or rolls into bite size pieces and spread them on a tray and allow to dry for an hour or so, then prepare the above mixture.

The NEXT step is the variable one.

Dump the bread into the egg mixture and press down, keep adding the bread until all the egg mixture has been soaked up, you can allow it to sit for 15 minutes to make sure it is well soaked and add more if some free liquid comes to the top when you press down with a broad spoon, fork or what I use, a potato masher.

If you have extra bread left over, use it for bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Grease a 9 x ll lasagna pan or similar deep baking dish. (or two large loaf pans)

Place the pan or pans in a larger pan and set in the oven on center rack. Fill the outer pan with hot water and bake until the custard is set. (Time varies with the size of the baking dish and the amount of custard)

For a deep 9 x 11 baking dish it should be done in about 35-40 minutes, a loaf pan will take longer. Test with a thin knife blade at 35 minutes, if not done (knife blade will be wet), continue baking and test every 2 minutes after that until blade comes out clean.

This is the recipe I use for my "Mock French Toast" - That is, the bread pudding, baked in loaf pans, cooled and allowed to set overnight in the fridge, then sliced and cooked on a griddle in butter, the uncooked side lightly brushed with melted butter, sprinkled with granulated maple sugar, then turned so that side can develop carmelization.

Or you can just griddle it on both sides and serve with maple or your favorite syrup. However the sweet crust from the granulated maple sugar is delicious.

Edited February 17, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[BrooksNYC]

I've fallen in among bread pudding heavyweights—how lucky is that?

And Wendy DeBord STIRS. Wendy, I see a trend in the making. Let's mount a crusade for stirring. Tell ten friends.

andiesenji, that recipe looks terrific. And the mock French toast must be insanely good. Thank you for posting.

When I was a child our cook would scold the kitchen help if they frowned while making some dishes.

I love this.

[chromedome]

My unscientific approach is to pick my baking pan, fill it with bread, and pour in enough base to fill it up. Five minutes later I'll come back, top it up with base, and head to the oven.

I favour softer, richer breads as well; usually I make it with leftover pieces of brioche or cinnamon roll.

[BrooksNYC]

I'm looking for a New York City substitute for New Orleans French bread. Its paper-thin crust and light, airy crumb make New Orleans French bread the perfect bread for traditional New Orleans bread puddings.

Many commercial baguettes available in NYC have a thick crust and a chewy, elastic crumb — superb for regular eating, but, as I've discovered, too heavy for my grandmother's bread pudding recipe (even with chewy crusts removed). I also find challah, brioche, or "Wonder"-type breads make the pudding too dense.

Someone, somewhere wrote that Vietnamese bread reminded them of New Orleans French. Can anyone vouch for that, and if so, do you know of any Vietnamese bakeries in Manhattan? I've had no luck Googling.

Would greatly appreciate your help, and thanks!

[Luckylies]

yeah, you need a cuban style french bread. or vietnamese. Thin toffee colored crust with the airy, soft interior.

Now where to get it? a cheap supermarket in a largely hispanic *vietnamese* neighborhood?

[BrooksNYC]

If I went out to Queens, I'd undoubtedly find bakeries in abundance. It's just that getting from Washington Heights to Queens is.....well, a schlep!

I'm hoping one of our members will know of a bakery in Manhattan. (Hadn't even considered Cuban bread, so thank you for the suggestion.)

[NYC Mike]

There is a bakery, that makes the best cuban bread in Washington Heights. They supply most of the dominican restaurants in the area with bread. You can see their green trucks all over the area early in the morning! BUT! I can't remember the name right now....I will find it and send it along. They are on St. Nick in the 170s or Audobon.

-Mike

[Mayhaw Man]

Brooks,

I'm checking for you with some bakery contacts here. I'm almost sure, but not quite, that, with just a minor amount of effort expended on your part, you can probably arrange to get some Leidenheimer's from somewhere in Manhattan.

The Vietnamese stuff, if it's all like the bread at Duong Phong out on Chef Highway, would make a fine sub-though the crust is slightly, just slightly less crunchy and a bit more on the toothsome side. It's pretty close, however, and in a bread pudding would probably be pretty close to unnoticable.

[CaliPoutine]

How about a recipe for said bread pudding? I'd love to make it at work.