i've never used a recipe for bread pudding in my life, so here's my:
HOW-TO-EYEBALL-IT BREAD PUDDING RECIPE
- first, chop up enough bread to loosely or firmly fill up whatever you'll be baking in, not quite to the top.
- remembering that 1 egg will just set 1 cup of milk softly, mix 1 or 2 eggs & a small handful (2 tablespoons?) of sugar per cup or so of milk, along with the flavoring of your choice, and don't forget a bit of salt.
- butter your baking dish, combine the bread and milk mixture, and bake till done.
remember that there's tremendous lattitude in the ratio of bread to liquid, and the resulting "bread pudding" can range anywhere from a delicate custard with bread in it to something nearly as dense as stuffing for a bird.
bread: white bread is about the only bread i
don't generally use for bread pudding. i either go with whole wheat, multigrain type breads, or challah, brioche, pannetone types.
flavorings and additions i enjoy: of course the traditional cinnamon and vanilla is always good, but:
- liqeuers are very nice
- apples are nice, as are peaches
- raspberries go well with whole grain & rye bread
- cranberries
- coarsely grated pumpkin or other squash
- lemon or orange zest
baking: i won't give any times, because that will depend on the size and depth of the pan, but baking at a moderately higher heat will give you a more homestyle pudding with a good crust while baking in a slow oven and maybe using a water bath for a high-liquid ratio will give you more delicate results. as a rule of thumb, when the edges are rising it either is or getting close to being done.