If you’ve seen my chocolate chip cookie recipe, you’ll know that I absolutely hate wasting anything that has to do with sourdough. Since there are only two of us living together, it can be tough for us to finish an entire loaf. While there are tons of dishes you can create with leftover sourdough, this recipe for bread pudding might be my absolute favorite. In fact, I might hide a few slices next time just so I can make this again.
Bread pudding is my ultimate favorite dessert, and whenever we see it on a dessert menu, my boyfriend knows we are not leaving the restaurant until we order it.
Because bread pudding is usually made using soft enriched breads, like challah or brioche, I wasn’t sure if my regular sourdough would work in a recipe. But not wanting to waste the last bit of my loaf, I thought I’d give it a try, and I’m so glad I did.
Due to the open crumb of sourdough, this bread pudding had a really airy, cake-like texture. The thick sourdough crust dispersed throughout gave this dish a nice hearty structure, with tons of crunchy bits in every bite. Serving this with a bourbon brown sugar sauce made this even more decadent and delicious.
This recipe is so easy to make and is perfect for anyone who can’t bare to throw that last bit of sourdough in to the garbage.
Now on to the recipe!
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
| Quantity | Ingredient |
| 2 cups | Week-old sourdough (cut into 1-inch cubes) |
| 2 tablespoons | Butter |
| 2 whole | Eggs |
| 1 ½ cups | Whole Milk |
| ⅓ cup | Brown Sugar |
| 1 teaspoon | Cinnamon (optional) |
| ¼ teaspoon | Nutmeg (optional) |
| 1 tablespoon | Vanilla |
| ⅛ teaspoon | Salt |
| ½ cup | Raisins |
| ½ cup | Walnuts |
Bourbon Brown Sugar Sauce
| Quantity | Ingredient |
| 2 tablespoons | Butter |
| ½ cup | Brown Sugar |
| 3 tablespoons | Whole Milk |
| 3 tablespoons | Bourbon |
| 1/8 teaspoon | Salt |
Directions
Prep
Preheat oven to 350 F/176 C.
Arrange sourdough cubes in a greased baking dish, I used an oval 8″ by 10″ dish, make sure to use one that is at least 2″ deep.
Custard
Combine butter and milk in a medium saucepan over low heat. Heat mixture until butter is melted and milk is scalded, stirring constantly so that milk doesn’t burn.
Once butter is melted, remove from heat, stir in brown sugar, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.
Bake
Pour milk mixture over bread, and scatter raisins and walnuts on top.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until knife inserted between center and edge comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving. This dish is great served warm or cold.
Sauce
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.
Once butter is melted, whisk in remaining ingredients.
Stir constantly until thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and pour over bread pudding.