Published January 1, 1999.
We wanted to develop a bread pudding recipe that would show real contrast between the crust and the filling in both texture and flavor. And the consistency of the pudding would have to sit halfway between that of a custard and that of a sauce. So for our bread pudding recipe we started with good-quality American sandwich bread, cut into cubes, and skipped the toasting step. We soaked most of the bread in the custard mixture for 20 minutes and placed the unsoaked bread atop the soaked bread and custard in the pan for a crisp top layer.
A firm white American-style bakery loaf bread gives the best texture to this pudding. In a pinch, however, use Pepperidge Farm Hearty White Bread. Avoid chewy, crusty European-style breads because they do not soften properly in the custard. For an extra-creamy bread pudding with a sauce beneath a crisp top layer, remove about 1 cup of soaked bread and 1 cup of soaking liquid to a food processor or blender and puree them until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the puree back to the rest of the mixture and stir to combine before transferring it to the baking dish. If desired, serve this pudding with softly whipped cream.
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