Al's Tested N' True: Bread Pudding

The History

It is simply amazing how food and recipes come into existence and evolve over time. This week we are looking at the origins of bread pudding. This nationwide classic came to fruition during the 11th-12th century period in England. People in this period wanted a way to get a second life out of stale bread, hence the invention of bread pudding. Furthermore, this was a cheap way to produce a great-tasting dessert with very few ingredients as food was scarce during this period. In fact the earliest rendition of bread pudding was made by soaking stale bread in hot water it would then be squeezed dry and a mixture of sugar and spices would be added. The dessert would then be baked golden brown and served warm. It wasn't until the 13th century that we saw more additions added to the decadence of this classic dessert we all know and love today.

The 13th-century version of bread pudding added eggs and milk into the fold and a fat such as butter. Before these changes bread pudding was referred to as 'poor man's pudding' after the new changes were implemented it was then called 'bread and butter pudding' before finally being shortened to bread pudding. Other more savory takes on bread pudding are made with substituting the butter for bone marrow in some recipes.

The Recipe

This bread pudding recipe I will be sharing today is just one of many dessert recipes that will be featured in my upcoming cookbook "Al's Tested N True". Follow along below to create your very own spongey bread pudding goodness!

Ingridents:

• 1 pound of stale bread (cut into medium-sized pieces)

• 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

• 1 1/2 Cups heavy cream

• 1 1/2 Cups half and half or milk

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 4 egg yolks

• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp allspice

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup of raisins

• 3 tbsps butter

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Prepare the custard mix by combining all wet ingredients then add the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.

3. Add bread and message custard mix into the bread pieces (optionally you can let the mixture soak overnight this ensures the mixture is fully absorbed by the bread and delivers a more developed flavor by letting the spices meld together.)

4. Prepare an 8x8 baking dish with foil or parchment paper butter the inside of the pan or use cooking spray.

5. Add the bread mixture to the pan and flatten slightly with a spatula to even out the surface. Lastly cut butter into cubes and add to the stop of the bread pudding

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes let cool slightly and serve with some vanilla bean ice cream.

Congratulations if you followed along with this recipe you just made yourself a damn good bread pudding if you enjoyed this blog post be sure to drop a like and subscribe for more!

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