Bryan Ford's cozy bread pudding recipe turns day-old bread into a rum-topped dessert

Many cultures have their own versions of bread pudding, created as a way to eliminate the waste of old bread. This version is from my cookbook, “Pan y Dulce.”

“Old bread” does not necessarily mean that it has gone bad or is moldy. I’m simply referring to bread that is a day or two old and has gotten dry, which makes it the perfect vehicle to soak up the sweet milk and egg mixture and create a very moist texture once it comes out of the oven. You can feel free to use dairy-free alternatives like almond, soy, oat, or coconut milk instead of the whole milk and heavy cream.

As a professional baker, I am hopelessly devoted to the practice of measuring my ingredients by weight. While this does require a cheap digital kitchen scale, the practice will give you an instant upgrade from baking volumetrically, by which I mean using measuring cups and tablespoons. But because I realize that not all home bakers are with me yet, I have included conversions by volume.

Makes 8 Servings

300 grams (10 ½ ounces) day-old bread or pan dulce, cubed and shredded

400 grams (1 ⅔ cup) whole milk

5 large eggs

100 grams (1/2 cup packed) brown sugar

2 grams (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon

1 gram (1 teaspoon) ground nutmeg

100 grams (⅔ cup) raisins

75 grams (3/4 cup) shredded coconut, plus more for topping

50 grams (⅓ cup) semisweet chocolate chips

100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar

50 grams (3 ½ tablespoons) unsalted butter

40 grams (3 tablespoons) heavy cream

5 grams (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract

Dark rum al gusto

Cube up the old bread or pan dulce. I like to then take each cube and shred it as finely as possible.

In a large bowl, add the milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk together until it’s blended well. Add the cubed bread into this mixture and incorporate until all the bread is moist. There should be more moisture than bread, which is good because the bread will begin to absorb it. If it feels too dry, make adjustments accordingly.

Add the raisins and shredded coconut into the mixture and mix again until they are evenly distributed. Cover the mixture and put in the fridge overnight (8 to 12 hours), or transfer to a baking pan and let it sit for at least 30 minutes before baking.

Once ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 F. Pour the mixture into a loaf pan or cake pan and top with the chocolate chips. Add more shredded coconut on top so that it develops a nice, toasty flavor. Place the pan in the oven and bake the bread pudding for about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine the granulated sugar, butter and heavy cream and whisk until the sugar is just about dissolved. Aim for a relatively thick consistency. If necessary, let it reduce for 5 minutes.

Once the desired consistency has been achieved, add the vanilla and as much rum as desired and whisk together. Set aside until the pudding is done.

Let the bread pudding cool for about 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm and pour rum sauce on top.

Bryan Ford is an award-winning Honduran-American baker and author of “New World Sourdough.” He has judged Netflix’s “Blue Ribbon Baking Championship,” hosted Magnolia Network’s “Baked in Tradition” and “The Artisan’s Kitchen,” and guest-starred on the children's television series “Waffles + Mochi.” He co-created The Flaky Biscuit Podcast with his wife, Bridget Kenna. He is the executive chef at Afghan bakery Diljān in Brooklyn Heights, New York.

Excerpted from “Pan y Dulce” by Bryan Ford. Copyright (copyright) 2024 by Bryan Ford. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.