Brioche Bread Pudding (small batch)

 

As you will know if you are one of my regular readers, I baked my very first Brioche Bread the other day.  I was ever so pleased with how it turned out. It was light and delicious.  

I did end up with quite a bit leftover.  Lots to use in another way.  I thought I would make a bread pudding or French toast, both of which are excellent ways to use up stale bread.  I was surprised that I didn't already have a Brioche Bread Pudding on the page actually.  I have many other kinds, but not a Brioche version.

I found a delicious and simple version for a Brioche Bread Pudding on The Spruce Eats which had good reviews, so I decided to adapt their recipe for my own uses.

 

First of all, I cut the recipe down to make only 3 to 4 servings, rather than the original, which was 6 to 8 servings.  I just did not need all of that extra pudding hanging around for me to eat it up.

Secondly, I fiddled with the flavors a tiny bit, choosing to use vanilla paste instead of vanilla extract for even more vanilla oomph. I also chose to use dried sour cherries instead of raisins with excellent results. They added a lovely touch of tart fruity sweetness that really worked well.

I really hope you will be tempted to give this a go.  It was puffed up right to the top of the baking dish when I first removed it from the oven, but, like all egg dishes, it sank as it rested. This is pretty normal.

You really can't lose with this delicious and simple dessert. It is warm and comforting and makes a great use of all your resources. No waste here!

 

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING

Just a few simple ingredients. This is a real doddle to make and makes delicious use of stale bread.

• 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, scalded
• 2 TBS butter, cubed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 1 tsp brandy (optional)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
• 2 1/2 cups (150g) stale day old brioche bread, cubed
• 1/4 cup (38g) raisins (I used chopped sweetened sour cherries)

 

I only keep whole milk in the house, but really when you are making a dessert, whole milk is the way to go.  It will give you a much richer finish.

I also use salted butter. I don't keep two kinds of butter in the house. There is no salt in the recipe, so it really won't make things overly salty if you are worried about that!

No vanilla paste?  Just use vanilla extract. I make my own. You can find out how here. Its really easy.

I used some of the brioche leftover from what I had baked the other day. It was perfect!

I used some dried sour cherries that were needing using up. They worked out beautifully with just the right amount of tartness.  If you wanted to you could soak them ahead of time, or the raisins as well, in a bit of brandy.  

 

HOW TO MAKE BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING small batch)

Bread pudding is really one of the easiest pudding/desserts to make. Whenever I make it I wonder why I don't make it more often. Not only does it help to get rid of stale bread, but it is also very delicious! The taste belies the fact that you are feeding your loved ones something stale that they would not otherwise want to eat!

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a baking dish that is 9 by 5-inches in size. Set aside.

Scald the milk. Heat it just until bubbles appear around the edges without boiling. (I do this in the microwave. About 1 minute 30 seconds.)

Whisk in the sugar to dissolve along with the cubed butter. Leave to cool for a few minutes.

Toss the bread cubes together in a bowl with the ground cinnamon and the nutmeg.

Whisk the beaten egg, vanilla and brandy into the milk mixture. Pour this over the bread cubes, tossing to coat all of the bread. Stir in the chopped cherries or raisins.

Pout this mixture into the prepared pan evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted 1-inch from the sides of the dish comes out clean.

Serve warm with your favorite accompaniment.

  

HINTS AND TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST BREAD PUDDING EVER

If you follow these simple steps, you can be assured of a really tasty dessert with a beautiful texture.

1. Don't be tempted to use fresh bread. It will not soak up the egg custard mixture properly.  You want to use bread that is at least a day old.  Store market bagged bread is not ideal. If you must resort to that, leave it out cubed, uncovered and in the air for a few hours before proceeding with the recipe.

2.  The ideal bread to use for a bread pudding is an enriched bread like a brioche or a challah.  Stale croissants also make a great bread pudding.

3. You can leave it plain and unadulterated of course, but never underestimate the deliciousness of adding some dried fruit, chocolate chips (white or dark), nuts or all three to your bread pudding.  You can also experiment with different spices.  The warm baking spices are the best. Spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, etc.

4.  Do not over bake your bread pudding. You want to bake it only until a metal knife inserted near the center comes out clean. The center should still have a slight wobble. Start testing about 10 minutes before you think it should be done.

 

I so, so, so love bread pudding. This was quite simply fabulous. It was rich and tasty without being overly heavy. I was well pleased that I had used the dried sour cherries in this. They added a lovely tartness which was most enjoyable.

I served mine with some custard sauce which went down a real treat, but pouring cream, thick cream or even ice cream would be just as tasty!

You can find my custard recipe here.  Proper Custard. It's really yummy!  It is shown on the link with some delicious roasted rhubarb. Tis almost the season for that treat as well!

 

Is bread pudding a favorite dessert of yours? You might also enjoy the following!

CHOCOLATE BOX BREAD PUDDING FOR TWO - A couple of stale croissants and some leftover chocolates from Christmas. That's all you basically need to create this delicious smaller sized bread pudding, aside from some eggs, butter, cream and milk. I used the caramel barrel shaped chocolates, but you can use any kind you wish.  Delicious any which way!

BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING (small batch) - Sized just for two this is a traditional bread and butter pudding, using buttered bread, raisins, milk, eggs, etc. Its simple and delicious.  I do believe it is these simple old fashioned desserts which bring us the most pleasure in life.

Yield: 3 - 4 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Brioche Bread Pudding (small batch)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min

A delicious way to repurpose stale bread. Simple, quick and easy to throw together. Serve warm with ice cream, custard sauce or cream for a delicious and comforting dessert everyone will enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, scalded
• 2 TBS butter, cubed
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 1 tsp brandy (optional)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
• 2 1/2 cups (150g) stale day old brioche bread, cubed
• 1/4 cup (38g) raisins (I used chopped sweetened sour cherries)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a baking dish that is 9 by 5-inches in size. Set aside.
2. Scald the milk. Heat it just until bubbles appear around the edges without boiling. (I do this in the microwave. About 1 minute 30 seconds.)
3. Whisk in the sugar to dissolve along with the cubed butter. Leave to cool for a few minutes.
4. Toss the bread cubes together in a bowl with the ground cinnamon and the nutmeg.
5. Whisk the beaten egg, vanilla and brandy into the milk mixture. Pour this over the bread cubes, tossing to coat all of the bread. Stir in the chopped cherries or raisins.
6. Pout this mixture into the prepared pan evenly.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted 1-inch from the sides of the dish comes out clean.
8. Serve warm with your favorite accompaniment.

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