Grandma's Bread Crumbs Pudding Recipe
- Daniel
- Sep 17
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 18
Growing up, we didn’t have much. But my grandma always knew how to turn almost nothing into something comforting. She used to go to local bakeries and ask for the bread ends, you know, the parts people usually toss out?
She’d wait for them to go hard and stale, then blitz them up and make the most amazing bread pudding I’ve ever tasted. No fancy ingredients, no measurements. Just instinct, love, and a warm oven.
This version is my little tribute to her, but with a simple custard sauce to amp it up a bit. I still kept things rustic and easy, because that’s what this dessert is all about: making do with what you have and turning scraps into joy.
A little marmalade, a touch of cookie spice, and suddenly you have something worthy of sharing with the people you love.
Bread crumbs pudding like this has roots in medieval Europe. It was often called "poor man's pudding" a way to use leftover bread before it spoiled. Nearly every culture has a version of it, from the British-style pudding to Malaysia’s "seri kaya roti."
It’s a humble dish with a lot of heart. And if you’ve never tried making one yourself, I truly hope you give this a shot. It’s easy, it’s forgiving, and it tastes like home.
Ingredients:
(Serve 4)
Pudding:
Stale Bread, About 250g
Whole Milk, 500g
Granulated Sugar, 80g
Eggs, 2
Pure Vanilla Paste, 1 TSP
Cookie Spice Homemade, 1 TSP
Unsalted Butter Melted, 50g + More For Greasing
Raisins / Marmalade / Jam, 2 Heaping TBSP
Simple Custard Sauce:
Whole Milk, 200g
Heavy Whipping Cream, 50g
Fresh Orange Zest, 1 Orange
Egg Yolks, 2
Granulated Sugar, 35g
Equipment:
Oven
Baking Dish (I am using Staub's Oval 1.1L Baking Dish)
Blender / Food Processor
Hand / Stand Mixer
Sauce Pot
Directions:
Please visit my "Cookie Spice Blend" page for the recipe.
Prep the Bread Mixture
Use a food processor or blender to blitz stale bread into coarse crumbs.
Add the milk and mix everything in a large bowl. Let it soak and soften for 15–30 minutes.
Make the Batter
In a separate bowl, beat the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cookie spice until light and fluffy. The mixture should be pale yellow and doubled in volume.
Gently fold this into the soaked bread mixture until combined.
Followed by the melted butter.
If using raisins, fold them in here.
Assemble the Pudding
Lightly grease a baking dish with butter.
Add half of the bread mixture and spread it out.
Swirl marmalade or jam over the surface.
Top with the remaining mixture. Use a spoon to create a rustic pattern on top.
Bake
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is golden and crispy.
Make the Custard Sauce
In a saucepan, combine milk, cream, and orange zest. Bring it just to a simmer (small bubbles at the edge).
Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until well combined.
Slowly pour a bit of the hot milk into the yolks to temper them, whisking constantly.
Pour everything back into the saucepan and stir constantly over low heat until it thickens. It should coat the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat immediately to avoid scrambling the eggs.
Serve
Serve the bread pudding warm, drizzled generously with the custard sauce.
Hearty and yummilicious...
Perfect for this cozy season...
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