A rich and flavorful savory bread pudding featuring sourdough and brioche breads, wild mushrooms, fresh herbs, melted cheeses, and a creamy egg custard baked to golden perfection. Ideal for a comforting brunch or dinner side dish.
Total Time:4 hours 20 minutes
Yield:8 servings
Ingredients
Bread
22 ounces sourdough bread and brioche bread torn or cut into 1-inch cubes
Prepare Bread: Dry out the bread by letting it sit out on a baking sheet for 1-2 days to become stale. For a quicker method, bake the bread cubes on a sheet pan at 200°F for 1 hour to achieve the desired dryness.
Sauté Vegetables and Mushrooms: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add the chopped wild mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes until they sweat and begin breaking down. Stir in the shallots, celery, thinly sliced sage, and thyme; cook for 2-3 minutes more until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Deglaze and Season: Pour in the white wine, sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes to evaporate the alcohol and concentrate flavors. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Make Custard: In a separate bowl, whisk together the 7 large eggs and 1 cup warm water until well combined. Add the heavy cream, whole milk, remaining 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes; whisk thoroughly. Stir in the grated gruyere cheese.
Assemble the Bread Pudding: Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with remaining butter or non-stick spray. Layer half of the bread cubes in the bottom, somewhat overlapping. Spread half of the mushroom mixture evenly over the bread. Pour half of the egg and cream custard evenly on top. Repeat the layering with the remaining bread, mushrooms, and custard.
Chill: Cover the baking pan tightly with plastic wrap followed by foil. Refrigerate the assembled bread pudding overnight or for at least 3 hours to allow the custard to soak into the bread thoroughly.
Preheat Oven and Prepare for Baking: Remove the bread pudding from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before baking to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap and foil, then sprinkle the top with the freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Bake: Place the uncovered bread pudding into the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until the center is set and does not jiggle when gently shaken.
Cool and Serve: Allow the bread pudding to cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. This resting time helps it firm up for easier portioning.
Notes
To save time, drying bread in the oven is a quicker alternative to the traditional air-drying method.
Use a mix of sourdough and brioche breads for the ideal texture and flavor balance.
The combination of fresh herbs adds aromatic complexity; feel free to adjust amounts to taste.
Wild mushrooms can be substituted with cremini or button mushrooms if unavailable.
Make sure to fully soak the bread in the custard for a creamy texture inside and crisp edges outside.
Serves well as a brunch main or a hearty side dish for dinner.
