Sourdough Bread Pudding
This is where the last of a loaf goes when it’s too dry for toast and too firm for a sandwich – torn into pieces, soaked in a brown sugar custard, and baked until the top turns deep golden and the center stays soft and custardy. A drizzle of warm vanilla sauce turns it from “using up old bread” into dessert.
Why You’ll Love It
- Uses up bread that’s too stale for anything else – nothing wasted
- One dish, one bowl, no mixer required
- Ready in about an hour, mostly hands-off while it bakes
- A custardy center under a deep golden top, finished with warm vanilla sauce
- Easy to dress up – add raisins, chocolate chips, or a splash of bourbon to the sauce
Ingredients
Volume measurements are included for convenience, but they’re approximate – a kitchen scale will always get you a more consistent pudding, especially for the bread.
- Day-old sourdough bread (8 cups, torn): the drier and staler the better – it soaks up the custard without turning to mush. If your loaf is still fresh, tear it into pieces and leave them out uncovered for a few hours first.
- Large eggs (4): binds the custard together as it bakes.
- Whole milk (2½ cups): forms the base of the custard alongside the heavy cream.
- Heavy cream (½ cup): adds richness to the custard without making it heavy; milk alone will still work, just with a slightly leaner texture.
- Brown sugar, packed (¾ cup): adds a deeper, more caramel-like sweetness than white sugar would – light or dark both work here.
- Vanilla extract, divided (2 tsp): used in both the custard and the sauce, so it’s worth using real extract rather than imitation.
- Ground cinnamon (1 tsp): warms up the custard’s flavor.
- Ground nutmeg (¼ tsp): adds a subtle warmth alongside the cinnamon.
- Salt (¼ tsp): balances the sweetness in the custard.
- Unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the dish (4 tbsp): greases the baking dish and adds richness to the custard.
- Powdered sugar, for the vanilla sauce (½ cup): sweetens the vanilla sauce that’s drizzled over the finished pudding.
- Milk, for the vanilla sauce (2 tbsp): thins the vanilla sauce to a pourable consistency.
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking dish: holds the full batch in an even layer for consistent baking. Any similar-sized ceramic or glass dish works just as well.
- Kitchen scale (optional but recommended): weighing the bread gives more consistent results than measuring by cups, since torn bread packs differently every time.
Sample Schedule (Same Day)
Prep (about 20 minutes)
- Preheat the oven and butter the dish
- Tear the bread and spread it in the dish
- Whisk together the custard
- Pour it over the bread and let it soak 15 minutes
Bake & Serve (about 45 minutes)
- Bake until golden and just set, 40-45 minutes
- Whisk together the vanilla sauce while it bakes
- Let the pudding rest 10 minutes before serving
- Drizzle with warm sauce and serve
Sourdough Bread Pudding
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Tear the bread into 1 to 2-inch pieces and spread them in the prepared dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth.
- Whisk in the melted butter, then pour the custard evenly over the bread, pressing the pieces down gently so they all soak up some liquid.
- Let the dish sit for 15 minutes so the bread can absorb the custard.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center is just set – it should jiggle slightly but not look wet.
- While the pudding bakes, whisk the powdered sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk together in a small saucepan until smooth, warming gently over low heat if needed to loosen it.
- Let the pudding cool for 10 minutes, then drizzle with the vanilla sauce and serve warm.
Notes
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How to Make It
1Prep the dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2Tear the bread. Tear the bread into 1 to 2-inch pieces and spread them evenly in the prepared dish.
3Make the custard. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth, then whisk in the melted butter.
4Soak. Pour the custard evenly over the bread, pressing the pieces down gently so everything gets a chance to soak. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
5Bake. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the center is just set – a slight jiggle is fine, a wet or liquid center means it needs more time.
6Make the sauce. While the pudding bakes, whisk the powdered sugar, remaining vanilla, and milk together in a small saucepan, warming gently over low heat until smooth and pourable.
7Finish. Let the pudding cool for 10 minutes, then drizzle with the warm vanilla sauce and serve.
Tips & Troubleshooting
- Wet or underset center: tent the dish loosely with foil and give it another 5 to 10 minutes – the top is likely browning faster than the middle is setting.
- Dense or gummy texture: the bread was probably too fresh; stale, dry bread is what gives this dish its texture.
How to Store
To store: cool completely, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or warm the whole dish covered in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes.
To freeze: wrap the cooled, un-sauced pudding tightly and freeze for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating, and make the sauce fresh.
Nutrition
Per serving, based on 8 servings. Estimated from the ingredients used – provided for convenience and not a substitute for a precise calculation.
340
Calories
45g
Carbs
8g
Protein
14g
Fat
1g
Fiber
230mg
Sodium
Desi’s Notes
This is the recipe that saves a loaf I let go one day too long – and honestly, I bake with staling in mind now, because bread pudding this good is worth it.
Living in South Florida, bread doesn’t stale the way it does in a drier climate – the humidity here can push it toward mold faster than it goes properly stale, so I keep a rotation going: eat it fresh for the first day or two, then this is where day three and four go instead of the trash.
I use whatever loaf I have on hand, including the Plain Sourdough Loaf from this site, but a milder sandwich-style sourdough works too if you want a sweeter pudding without much tang competing with the custard.
Before You Bake
Working through more bread than you can eat fresh? Read How to Store (and Freeze) Your Sourdough, or browse the rest of our recipe collection for other ways to use it up.
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