This recipe for Mixed Berry Bread Pudding (Budino di Pane con Frutta di Bosco) is the definition of flexibility — use any day-old, neutral-tasting bread you have, whether it’s an eggy bread like brioche or a simple white country bread. (If the crusts are very tough, remove them.) You could even take this to the next level and use day-old croissants.
Chef Lidia Bastianich prepared this dish on Season 10 of Lidia’s Kitchen.
Berries are wonderful here, but you can also use chopped peaches or plums, or leave out the fresh fruit entirely and add a handful or two of dried fruit or chocolate chips.
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3⁄4 cup sugar, plus more for the baking dish and sprinkling
- 4 large eggs
- Kosher salt
- 2 cups half-and-half (or 1 cup milk, 1 cup cream)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 teaspoon almond extract
- 8 cups cubed day-old brioche or country bread (about 10 ounces)
- 1 1⁄2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, and/or blackberries)
- 1⁄4 cup sliced almonds
TO PREPARE
STEP ONE. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
STEP TWO. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with the butter, and sprinkle with sugar to coat.
STEP THREE. Beat the eggs, 3⁄4 cup sugar, and 1⁄4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth.
STEP FOUR. Add the bread cubes, and press them down to submerge. Let the bread soak in the custard for 15 minutes.
STEP FIVE. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
STEP SIX. Pour the bread and custard into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the berries. Sprinkle the almonds over the berries, and top with a dusting of sugar.
STEP SEVEN. Set the baking dish in a roasting pan, and pour in boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until the top is puffed and the bread pudding is just set, about 1 hour. It should still be slightly jiggly in the center.
STEP EIGHT. Remove from the oven, and let it cool for 30 minutes in the roasting pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
