The Best Type Of Bread For Top-Notch Bread Pudding

If you like the idea of torn bits of bread saturated in a velvety custard sauce and baked until golden brown and bubbly, then you should whip up a pan of bread pudding. You'll know the dish is ready when the scent of toasted bread and sweet custard lingers in your kitchen. The comforting classic is a staple on most tables for breakfast, especially on Christmas morning or even Easter brunch.

At the beginning of my culinary career, I worked as the head sous chef in a diner in downtown Los Angeles where we produced countless trays of delicious bread pudding. One thing I learned is that it's crucial to start off with one ingredient: stale bread. It'll evenly absorb the custard mixture (typically made with eggs, milk, sugar, butter, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg) and provide a bit of texture so you don't wind up with a mushy result. Additionally, it'll supply the pudding with enough structure to get a clean slice out of the pan, and not to mention, it's a great way to utilize stale bread.

One of the best qualities of bread pudding is that it's just a base — you can use whatever flavoring and type of bread you desire. Choosing the right bread for your pudding can be daunting, but you have more freedom than you might think. Here's a list of some top-notch pairings that'll take this classic brunch staple to the next level.

Of all the different types of French bread, there isn't a better match for bread pudding than brioche. Whether you're making a basic bread pudding with cinnamon, raisins, and bourbon or a savory version with cheese, brioche is always a safe bet. The bread has a buttery, rich flavor with a fluffy, soft texture that pairs flawlessly with the custard. It also has an exceptionally tender crumb from the high volume of eggs and butter in the dough, making it optimal for soaking up the creamy custard.

Considering that brioche has a fairly moist interior, you should tear it up and let it dry out for a day or two in advance to ensure you get a sturdy structure and clean slice after baking. Also, be sure not to overbake it and burn the top; since brioche already has a golden brown crust, you might want to cover it with aluminum foil to prevent it from scorching. If you're looking to further elevate the dish, try serving it with stewed fruit or compote, or ganache for chocolate lovers.

Challah is traditional Jewish bread that is often served for Shabbat or Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  Similar to brioche, challah is a rich, egg-based bread known for its distinct braid — which of course will be dismantled once you tear it into chunks and smother it with the creamy custard. Fortunately, this is a sacrifice worth making since you'll end up with one of the best bread puddings you'll ever try.

The bread's soft, fluffy, and perfectly chewy texture excels alongside the custard. Most importantly, it'll be solid and intact once it's finished baking, since it has a relatively dense consistency. Challah is simply flavored with the richness of egg and has only a slight sweetness, making it a great base for whatever else you want to include. For example, you can make a wonderful fall inspired pudding with sweet potatoes or a savory option with mushrooms and fresh herbs.

There are loads of genius ways to utilize Hawaiian rolls, from making easy sandwiches in a flash, to whipping up a batch of sweet and salty garlic bread — although using them for bread pudding reigns supreme. For those unfamiliar with Hawaiian rolls, they have a fluffy, soft texture alongside a subtly sweet pineapple and honey taste. When making Hawaiian roll bread pudding, lean into those tropical flavors by pairing it with fresh or canned pineapple.

You might be wondering where you can even find Hawaiian rolls if you're not on the islands — King's Hawaiian is a popular brand you're likely to find on your local supermarket's shelves, bringing you one step closer to turning your store-bought dinner rolls into a tasty, homemade bread pudding. Plus, it'll save you some time since you won't have to travel across the Pacific Ocean to pick up a batch of these sweet rolls.

On top of Japanese milk bread being the perfect choice for French toast, it's an equally excellent vessel for bread pudding. Also referred to as shokupan or Hokkaido milk bread, it has a fluffy, tender crumb, airy texture, and thin golden brown crust. Alongside its unique texture, it has a subtle sweet flavor with an underlying buttery taste that will blend seamlessly with the rich custard.

Given that Japanese milk bread is delicate, you won't need to dry it out for a longer period like you would for brioche. Most importantly to prevent any sogginess, you should use less of the custard mixture so the bread is still able to hold its shape while soaking. To get a good crunch, you can sprinkle on some turbinado or demerara sugar just before baking. 

If you're trying to stay on theme with Japanese flavors, try adding a bit of matcha to whipped cream to use as a garnish. Furthermore, you can replace the typical custard base with this Japanese coffee purin recipe. Simply make the coffee-infused custard, pour it over your dried pieces of milk bread, pop the dish in the oven, and you've got brunch.

If you've got a bubbly starter at home that keeps giving you an endless supply of homemade sourdough bread, it's time to shake things up and transform a loaf into a heartwarming dish of bread pudding. The bread's signature tangy flavor, chewy texture, and golden brown rustic crust make the perfect pairing for this comforting classic.

Looking to add a bit of flair to your sourdough bread pudding? Consider adding a handful of chopped dark chocolate or a sprinkle of sea salt. For a more innovative twist, add a splash of bourbon to your custard mixture. The rich notes of caramel, vanilla, and spices from the liquor are a natural match with the creaminess of the pudding.

Don't be nervous that your bread pudding might be too soggy or, even worse, fall apart after baking. Sourdough is one of the sturdiest and strongest breads you can use, and when your loaf accidentally goes stale, it's a great excuse to make bread pudding. Everything from the hard crust to the spongy interior will guarantee a well-constructed and solid slice, making sourdough a top-notch choice for bread pudding.

The holiday season is filled with delicious desserts like whimsical yule log cakes and beautifully decorated sugar cookies. Another sweet treat during the holiday season is the Italian classic pandoro, which also happens to be an excellent pick for bread pudding. For those unfamiliar with the world of Italian desserts, pandoro is a sweet and eggy bread that's shaped like an eight-pointed star. Unlike panettone, it's traditionally dusted with confectioners' sugar and doesn't contain any nuts, candied fruits, or raisins. It has an almost sponge cake-like consistency that's just right for soaking up the custard mixture.

Pandoro traditionally has notes of vanilla, so pairing a slice of bread pudding alongside a creamy scoop of vanilla ice cream might just be the perfect combination. Alternatively, you can simply dust it with confectioners' sugar like how pandoro is typically served. Whichever way you decide, you'll understand why using pandoro for bread pudding is a winning choice.

Croissant fanatics will be happy to know that the French viennoiserie is a sublime pairing for bread pudding. While croissants aren't technically considered bread, their fluffy puff pastry interior allows them to soak up the custard for bread pudding — so they shouldn't be overlooked.

Croissants are loaded with butter, which also means they have a high moisture content, so the key is to let them dry out completely before baking. If you happen to be in a rush, you can slice your croissants in half and lightly toast them in the oven at 325 F for 10 to 15 minutes to draw out the excess moisture. For Costco members, this is a fantastic way to use those extra buttery croissants from the iconic bakery section that might've gone a little bit too stale. The laminated layers absorb the custard perfectly and can result in a light puff when baking in the oven.

For a scrumptious late-night dessert, serve your croissant bread pudding alongside the most favored sweet sauces amongst pastry chefs, crème anglaise. Whichever way you plate it up, the final product is a fluffy, butter-infused bread pudding that you'll be craving every day for breakfast or dessert.

Do you love the taste of cinnamon and raisins paired together? How about the comforting aroma of rich custard and warm bread filling your kitchen? If so, cinnamon raisin bread is an obvious choice for your next batch of bread pudding. For the uninformed, this delicious bread is made with an enriched dough that's dotted with raisins and flavored with cinnamon. 

If you want to pick up fewer ingredients on your next grocery trip, using cinnamon raisin bread is a smart choice since all the flavoring is already in the bread. You'll only need to buy the milk, eggs, butter, and sugar — saving you time and money. It's easy to swap it into any standard bread pudding recipe for a bit of extra flavor and sweetness. Not to mention, it could also be a good substitute for cinnamon rolls if you're trying to make a cinnamon roll bread pudding.

Besides Giada De Laurentiis' trick of repurposing stale panettone in a salad, another way to use it is for bread pudding. Panettone is a quintessential Italian sweet bread, popular during the holiday season when it starts popping up in bakeries and on grocery store shelves — not just in Italy, but around the world. Though panettone can be quite expensive, it's definitely worth the splurge, especially if you're going to turn the leftovers into bread pudding.

The Italian sweet bread has a pretty interesting appearance. It has a towering dome shape with a fluffy, soft texture that's typically studded with either chocolate, candied fruits, nuts, or raisins. Sometimes it can be mistaken for cake, but it's actually an enriched bread dough. That being said, due to its high fat and moisture content, you'll want to let it dry out a bit longer than sourdough. Don't worry if you can't find any panettone in your area. Tasting Table recipe developer, Stephanie Rapone, crafted this classic panettone recipe that any home cook can conquer. Whether it's the holiday season or not, panettone is always a top-notch choice for bread pudding.

Next time you are at a Mexican grocery store or bakery, snatch up a pack of conchas, a delicious Mexican sweet bread. Conchas, often called "pan dulce," have a wonderfully soft texture with a buttery flavor. Similar to brioche, concha dough is enriched and can be flavored with a variety of ingredients like vanilla beans, cinnamon, and chocolate. The sweet bread is typically eaten for breakfast and dipped in hot chocolate, coffee, or milk. You can easily recognize a concha from its lovely shell-inspired crunchy sugar topping, hence its name, which translates to shell in Spanish. 

Conchas can be slightly dry and have a bit of a crumbly texture — which perfectly suits the custard mixture. As a result, the bread absorbs the liquid like a sponge and rehydrates itself, creating a wonderfully textured bread pudding. Plus the sugary topping contributes a lovely hint of sweetness and crunchiness to the dish. Pro tip: Instead of dusting with confectioners' sugar to serve, try adding a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk or salted caramel sauce for some extra flavor.

Whether or not you're from the Netherlands, you might be familiar with this uniquely textured white bread called tiger bread, also referred to as Dutch Crunch in San Francisco. The crunchy-crusted white bread has been popularized in San Francisco and the Bay Area in recent years, where it has overtaken sandwich shops and bakeries like a storm. Tiger bread is made from a combination of rice flour and sugar, giving it a crunchy crust that will definitely supply your bread pudding with a crispy bite. The fluffy interior is top-notch for soaking up custard while staying intact so you can get a clean slice.

Remember that bread pudding doesn't always have to be sweet. For example, for Thanksgiving, celebrity chef Ina Garten swaps a classic stuffing side dish with a savory bread pudding. Garten favors two puddings: one with herbs and apple and another with mushroom and leek. Tiger bread would be an excellent choice to soak up all that savory goodness. However, if you're looking for something on the sweeter side it'll work great in a bread and butter pudding recipe too.

Babka is a sweet, braided bread from Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. The enriched dough has a consistency somewhat similar to challah, however, the preparation differs. For babka, the dough is typically rolled out and can be spread with a variety of sweet fillings. The most common are chocolate and cinnamon, but you can also find sweet cheese, marmalade, or raisins — all of which pair wonderfully in a bread pudding. After the filling is spread, the dough is braided and baked. 

Essentially, it's an undeniably delicious buttery brioche enriched with loads of chocolate — sounds amazing, right? Now imagine it mixed with a creamy custard and baked until golden brown and toasty. If you can't find any babka in your area, don't fret, the recipe developers at Tasting Table have got you covered with this traditional cinnamon babka. If you're in the mood for autumn flavors try a pumpkin spice babka, and top it off with warm spiced Southern fried apples.

Hot cross buns are traditional sweet bread rolls originating from the United Kingdom, often sold during Easter, Good Friday, and Christmas. The bread rolls are usually spiced with cinnamon and dotted with raisins. These sweet rolls would be an excellent choice for your bread pudding, especially if you want to stick to those classic flavors.

You can spot hot cross buns in bakery cases thanks to their distinctive white crossed surface, representing the crucifixion of Jesus. The frosting is often flavored with orange zest that infuses the custard with a nice aroma. If you want to bring out more of a citrus flavor, feel free to include additional orange or lemon zest as well. Since these sweet rolls might be difficult to find if you're not in the United Kingdom, you can make them at home using an easy hot cross bun recipe.