Learn how to make bread pudding, a good way to make use of leftover bread.

How to Make Bread Pudding: Classic Bread Pudding Recipe

Bread pudding is a sweet dish consisting of stale bread soaked in a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, with various mix-ins like raisins or chocolate chips, and baked until tender and crisp around the edges. Chefs often top the dish with creamy vanilla, bourbon, or rum sauce. Serve the dish as a breakfast or brunch food, or pair it with [vanilla ice cream](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/vanilla-ice-cream-recipe) or whipped cream as a dessert.
Different kinds of bread bring varying levels of chewiness and crunch to bread pudding. Traditional choices are [challah](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-challah-bread-recipe), enriched French bread like [brioche](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/french-brioche-recipe-from-apollonia-poilane), or rustic loaves of [sourdough](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-sourdough-bread-recipe-and-tips) or white bread. 

Denser whole-grain breads won’t absorb the milk and eggs the same way, so if you use a loaf like [rye bread](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-rye-bread-easy-rye-bread-recipe-and-8-types-of-rye-bread), adjust the amount of liquid to match.
Bread pudding can be sticky and sweet or subtle and perfumed with spices, perfect for a midday snack. Here’s how to build your own bread pudding:

1. __Use stale bread__: Like [homemade croutons](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-croutons) and [French toast](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/french-toast-recipe), bread pudding is a way to use stale or day-old bread. Bread pudding absorbs liquid while maintaining a crisp structure when baked. Fresh bread is often too soft and loses definition when soaked; to dry out fresh bread, arrange the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in an oven on low heat for ten minutes until crisp. 
2. __Use mix-ins__: Accent your easy bread pudding with dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, or apricots, chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts, or chocolate chips. (For a warm, boozy kick, soak the dried fruit in brandy or [bourbon](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/bourbon-vs-whiskey-explained) before adding to the pudding.) 
3. __Serve with a bread pudding sauce__: If you’d like, serve bread pudding with a puddle of [crème anglaise](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-creme-anglaise-recipe) or a drizzle of caramel sauce or butterscotch.
Learn how to make bread pudding, a good way to make use of leftover bread.

Bread pudding is a sweet dish consisting of stale bread soaked in a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, with various mix-ins like raisins or chocolate chips, and baked until tender and crisp around the edges. Chefs often top the dish with creamy vanilla, bourbon, or rum sauce. Serve the dish as a breakfast or brunch food, or pair it with <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/vanilla-ice-cream-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/vanilla-ice-cream-recipe","linkCopy":"vanilla ice cream","category":null}'>vanilla ice cream</a> or whipped cream as a dessert.

What Is Bread Pudding?

Different kinds of bread bring varying levels of chewiness and crunch to bread pudding. Traditional choices are <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-challah-bread-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/classic-challah-bread-recipe","linkCopy":"challah","category":null}'>challah</a>, enriched French bread like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/french-brioche-recipe-from-apollonia-poilane' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/french-brioche-recipe-from-apollonia-poilane","linkCopy":"brioche","category":null}'>brioche</a>, or rustic loaves of <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-sourdough-bread-recipe-and-tips' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-sourdough-bread-recipe-and-tips","linkCopy":"sourdough","category":null}'>sourdough</a> or white bread. Denser whole-grain breads won’t absorb the milk and eggs the same way, so if you use a loaf like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-rye-bread-easy-rye-bread-recipe-and-8-types-of-rye-bread' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-rye-bread-easy-rye-bread-recipe-and-8-types-of-rye-bread","linkCopy":"rye bread","category":null}'>rye bread</a>, adjust the amount of liquid to match.

What Kind of Bread to Use for Bread Pudding?

Bread pudding can be sticky and sweet or subtle and perfumed with spices, perfect for a midday snack. Here’s how to build your own bread pudding:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Use stale bread: Like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-croutons' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-homemade-croutons","linkCopy":"homemade croutons","category":null}'>homemade croutons</a> and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/french-toast-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/french-toast-recipe","linkCopy":"French toast","category":null}'>French toast</a>, bread pudding is a way to use stale or day-old bread. Bread pudding absorbs liquid while maintaining a crisp structure when baked. Fresh bread is often too soft and loses definition when soaked; to dry out fresh bread, arrange the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in an oven on low heat for ten minutes until crisp. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Use mix-ins: Accent your easy bread pudding with dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, or apricots, chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts, or chocolate chips. (For a warm, boozy kick, soak the dried fruit in brandy or <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/bourbon-vs-whiskey-explained' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/bourbon-vs-whiskey-explained","linkCopy":"bourbon","category":null}'>bourbon</a> before adding to the pudding.) </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Serve with a bread pudding sauce: If you’d like, serve bread pudding with a puddle of <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-creme-anglaise-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/chef-thomas-kellers-creme-anglaise-recipe","linkCopy":"crème anglaise","category":null}'>crème anglaise</a> or a drizzle of caramel sauce or butterscotch. </li></ol>

3 Tips for Making the Best Bread Pudding

Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding Recipe

Learn how to make bread pudding, a good way to make use of leftover bread.