The Best Bread Pudding

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2007

Show: Paula's Home CookingEpisode: Great Bake-off

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (147)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(147)

Cook Time:
50 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
8 to 10 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: 24 hr 10 min
Cook: 50 min
Total:: 25 hr 10 min

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Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cubed Italian bread, allow to stale overnight in a bowl
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans

For the sauce:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup brandy

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan.

Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. Pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

For the sauce:

Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir together until the sugar is melted. Add the brandy, stirring well. Pour over bread pudding. Serve warm or cold.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe The Best Bread Pudding
carrie seattle, WA 11-15-2009
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I get constant requests for this!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is an amazing and easy bread pudding...read all the comments to determine how to alter it to your taste. Many people... will love it really sweet and more custard-ey (don't change the recipe if that's the case). If you prefer drier and less sweet, there are recommendations in the comments. When I made it I substituted dried tart cherries for the nuts since I was making for Thanksgiving as I had some left over from my cherry/cranberry sauce recipe. I've made it without the cherries, but it's not nearly as good. I think almost any dried fruit would work in this if you aren't big on nuts in deserts (which my family isn't). Read more
recipe The Best Bread Pudding
marina leesburg, VA 11-11-2009
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read the review's first
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

oh my, when people said sweet, i thought, no way, but it is sooooooooooooooo sweet. i still keep nibblin on it though! this... is so good, i followed it to a t and the only thing i would leave out is the topping....no butter and brown sugar, pecan's yes. to cut the sweet, i put on whipping cream w/ no sugar. next time i'm going to add pumpkin, for pumpkin bread pudding. i have to say i loved hearing from all the ladies in the house, funny, funny, funny. paula's got something, just went to her resturant in savannah and Oh My Goodness! how she's not 900lbs. i'll never know. :)Read more
recipe The Best Bread Pudding
R. Cale Nicholasville, KY 11-08-2009
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Great bread pudding
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Great bread pudding
recipe The Best Bread Pudding
Deborah West Branch, MI 11-04-2009
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Very good but....
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

When my Mom made bread pudding, she always put in raisins and cinnamon also. I also put in more cubed bread. My Mom used to... use about a loaf of day old bread, but being as this recipe used Italian bread, I used about 1/2-3/4 of a loaf. I still let it soak for 10 minutes and there was still enough egg mixture to keep the pudding moist but not mushy after being baked. I know some people do not like raisins, but to me, bread pudding and rice pudding are not the same without them. I liked adding the 1 tsp of cinnamon as well. I do love Paula's recipe's though. Nothing beats down home southern cooking!Read more
recipe The Best Bread Pudding
RADHIKA Fresh Meadows, NY 11-03-2009
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So much sugar and way too much liquid!
Rated: 2 stars out of 5

I thought this was a nice and simple recipe, except the proportions are way off! You need about half the liquid this recipe... calls for, and about half the sugar. it was soo sweet! and the brandy was way too strong, perhaps just a table spoon might have been enough to flavor, but a 1/4 cup made it downright alcoholic! I followed this recipe to a tea, and the middle of the pan was so mushy, again too much liquid. Perhaps she meas to soak the bread then put the bread in the pan and toss the remaining liquid.. which is a royal waste! Instead just subtract half the liquid in the recipe, 2 eggs and 1 cup milk.. I bet that would be much better. also I used half splenda, half sugar... still way too sweet! and much more sugar then is neccessary. the topping was delicious though!Read more
recipe The Best Bread Pudding
Olga North Hollywood, CA 10-30-2009
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Another Flawed Food Network Recipe
Rated: 1 stars out of 5

Okay, the recipe calls for 5 large eggs, two cups of milk and a mere 3 cups of cubed bread. It doesn't take a genius to... figure out that that's way too much liquid. Probably 6 or 9 cups of the bread is more like it. Read more