Bread Pudding

Bread pudding is a dessert primarily made from stale bread. It is a popular dish in England and is referred to as “poor man’s pudding”. This sweet dish is commonly found in the British cuisine and other places like France, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Argentina and Southern parts of USA. The traditional bread pudding recipe is made from stale left over breads and other ingredients to add taste and flavor. However, the modern version of this dish has seen some variations, which are discussed below. It is served with different types of sauces and dressings.

 

History of Bread Pudding

The origin of this dish dates back to the 13th Century. This is an old-fashioned dessert and was traditionally made from stale left over bread. Today; however, bread is specially prepared for making this pudding. Traditionally, the stale bread was soaked in water overnight and then squeezed dry of the excess water before baking and adding other ingredients. Today, fresh bread is soaked in milk cream or custard instead of water. The bread pudding recipe has seen a lot of change. It has transitioned from being a poor man’s pudding to a rich dessert. Bread pudding is a homemade dish and is quite easy to prepare.

 

Ingredients and Preparation Method: Bread Pudding

The traditional style of preparing this dish is quite different from the current style. The ingredients also vary slightly. Here is the authentic traditional recipe and the modern one too.

Traditional Bread Pudding: The ingredients required for preparing this pudding in a traditional style includes stale bread, suet, egg, sugar, golden syrup, spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, mace and dried fruit. The dressing  requires sweet sauce like whiskey sauce, rum sauce, caramel sauce, custard sauce or vanilla cream. For preparing the bread pudding, the stale bread is soaked overnight in water and then squeezed dry of the excess water. It is then mixed with other ingredients and baked in an oven. It is topped with a sweet sauce before serving.

Modern Bread Pudding Recipe: The modern style of preparing this pudding is slightly different from the traditional one. Typically, the bread that is used for making this dish is fresh and sometimes it is specially prepared for making pudding. The type of bread that may be used would include brioche, challah, croissant, panettone, French or Italian. This bread is not soaked in water, it is soaked in rich custard or milk cream. Apart from the traditional ingredients, the modern bread pudding may also include candied fruits or fresh fruits. After baking, it can be topped with warm caramel ice cream. It can also be topped with a dressing of whipped cream.

 

Serving Style of Bread Pudding Recipe

This dessert is served hot and can be garnished with dried fruits and sauces off different types. Some of the best choices for dressing include whipped cream, caramel ice cream, sweet sauces, fresh fruits, and so on. There are many options for serving and this bread pudding is also served with vanilla cream dressing or bourbon sauce. It can also be smeared with powdered sugar.

 

Health and Nutritional Value

This dish is high in calories. However, its nutritional value will depend on the way this dessert is prepared. The traditional version of this dish is not as heavy as the modern version. Here is some information about the health and nutritional value of this bread pudding recipe. This dish when served with bourbon sauce may have around 400 calories. The golden syrup type has less calories, it is around 200 to 250 calories. Typically, the dressing or the topping of bread pudding is high in calorie content. Moreover, when it is soaked in custard or milk cream, it adds to the calories. The traditional recipe is comparatively less fattening. This pudding is also high in fat content and may not be a good choice for those on diet. Its high sugar and dairy content further adds to the calorie count.

 

Trivia

This sweet dish effectively utilizes left over bread and makes for a perfect dessert. It is often considered as holiday food and can be enjoyed after meals. Some bread pudding recipes include rum, sherry or brandy. There are many versions of this dish in different parts of the world. This recipe is quite simple and can be modified to suit the different cultures and tastes. Bread crumbs can also be used for making bread pudding and there is no need to throw away the crumbs.