Bread Pudding - The Process of Making Bread Pudding

Traditional recipes for bread pudding seem to follow the same format. Soak stale bread, often overnight, in a liquid until it is very soft. Place it in a pan and bake in a slow oven then serve still slightly warm with a sauce. The thing is that you can easily add your own variations by changing the type of bread, the liquids and additional ingredients.

A basic and Traditional Bread Pudding is made using the following basic recipe. You would need:

Bread Pan

2 cups of stale bread cubes 1 quart of milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup of raisins (optional) 2 eggs 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon

To make this pudding you would soak the bread in the milk until it is very soft, then mash it fine and heat until nearly boiling. Beat the eggs until light and add the sugar, salt and vanilla. When well mixed, stir into the bread and milk and pour the whole mixture into a baking-dish placed in a larger pan of water. Bake at about 325 degrees F. for about 45 minutes to an hour until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

From this basic we get many variations. Every chef has their own favorite recipe and an internet search will provide you with thousands of versions. The basic premise is the same, but my grandmother considered bread pudding to be something totally different from what these recipes produce. Hers was closer to the English version of Plumb Pudding and it was steamed, not baked.

One of the family favorites we loved as a kid was grandmother's steamed brown bread pudding which basically follows the process outlined above. She used bread crumbs instead of cubes, water instead of milk, and molasses. Seasoned the mix with cinnamon, cloves and salt and cooked in a greased tightly sealed copper mold allowing it to steam in a pan of boiling water for about 3 hours.

The steaming of this type of bread pudding creates a denser pudding-cake that holds the shape of the container used to steam it. It is usually turned out and served up-side-down with a pretty garnish on the top. Grandmother seemed partial to almond halves and dried cherries.

To the basic bread pudding recipe above you can add all sorts of additional ingredients to create your own version. My family likes pecans and dried fruit, especially cranberries over the holidays. My husband prefers dried dates and walnuts added to the base and I like it any way I can get it.

Making bread pudding is simple and a good skill for any cook to master. Additionally, you can make Hasty Pudding by using an oatmeal cooked until it forms a thick batter, adding raisins, cinnamon and sugar and a little butter. Pour into a heavily greased pan and bake until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

No matter what version of the thousands available you choose to make, bread puddings are a favorite dessert to adorn many family tables, especially during the holiday season and special occasions. It is easy and inexpensive to make, travels well to that church social and is usually gobbled up quickly. Serve with a creamy rum or bourbon sauce and you just may find yourself in much higher demand for pot-luck dinners in the future.

Bread Pudding - The Process of Making Bread Pudding

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