Pretzel Bread Pudding

A classic bread pudding using using pretzel bread and a bit of milk chocolate, this pretzel bread pudding is perfect for brunch or dessert!

What kind of bread is best for bread pudding?

Personally I don’t think there is a “best” bread for bread pudding. My other bread pudding recipe, uses stale brioche which fully absorbs the custard and is quite soft. However this bread pudding is made with stale pretzel bread and leftover baguette which absorb the custard differently. I love both versions just be sure to pick the recipe based on the type of bread you have.

Why is my bread pudding soggy?

Usually bread pudding will get soggy if there isn’t enough bread, the bread isn’t stale enough, or the bread pudding hasn’t baked for long enough. As annoying as it is, if your loaf doesn’t weigh enough or you’re using the wrong kind of bread, you need to supplement it with a bit extra to keep the consistency right. For extra stale bread, tear or cut it up and then let it sit out, uncovered for at least an hour if not more before soaking it with the custard.

What dish should bread pudding be baked in?

Bread pudding can be baked in any dish. However, the baking times will vary. In this recipe I have baked it in a 10.5″ x 8″ x 2″ ceramic dish for a more traditional look and bake that has a thick custardy layer and then little toasty bits on top.

What can I use instead of Pretzel Bread?

To be honest I made this recipe out of a desperate need to clean out my freezer which included a 1/4 of a loaf of my Pretzel Bread. However, I also included a bit of left over baguette and rye sourdough. The key for this recipe is you want a bread that’s a bit more like sourdough with a thick crust and ideally a bit denser and not as light and fluffy as brioche. To get the pretzel flavor, I like to sprinkle the top with a bit of extra pretzel salt to really get that salty sweet combo.

Tips for making Bread Pudding

• You really want stale, crusty, bread for this bread pudding. I’ve tried making it with relatively fresh bread and it doesn’t absorb enough of the custard which ends up giving a weird soggy bottom that’s just egg and milk.
• If you don’t have pretzel bread, use any thick crusty bread and sprinkle the top with a bit of extra pretzel salt to really get that salty sweet combo. I’ve also used the pretzel rolls form trader joes and they work well! I think you need about 6 of them.
• A general rule of thumb is that once this bread and custard is in the baking dish, the custard should be sitting about 1/2″ below the top of the bread. If the custard is way below, whisk another egg with 80 grams of milk and 10 grams of brown sugar and pour it on top.
• To get your bread stale quickly, tear or cut it up and place it on a sheet tray in the fridge for at least a couple hours or overnight.
• Don’t underbake it! Bread pudding really needs to be baked fully otherwise the custard won’t set up properly. It should puff up just have a light wobble.
• You can basically add anything into the bread pudding including nuts, dried fruit, etc or just leave it plain. I added milk chocolate but you could leave it out if you prefer!
• I love serving this one fresh and warm with a drizzle of this vanilla custard sauce.

Additional Recipes to try!

• Brioche Bread Pudding
• Maple Tahini Chocolate Chunk Scones
• Cardamom Babka

Pretzel Bread Pudding Ingredients

• Pretzel Bread: You need 480 grams of stale pretzel bread for this recipe or a combination of crusty thick sourdough/rye sourdough and other bread you find around. I’ve also used the pretzel rolls from trader joes and they work well!
• Butter: A bit of melted butter in the custard makes this recipe rich and moist, also gives it delicious flavor.
• Sugar: This cake uses brown sugar in the custard, you can use white granulated sugar instead it just won’t have quite the same warm flavor.
• Salt: A little bit of fine sea salt enhances the flavors and balances out the sweetness.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds flavor to the custard.
• Cinnamon: the combination of cinnamon, custard, and chocolate is truly magical but if cinnamon isn’t your thing feel free to swap it for another spice.
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store.
• Milk: I prefer to use whole milk for the custard but you can use skim or 2%. I’ve never tried this recipe with a milk alternatives so I don’t know for sure if they would work.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream will work, it just makes the custard extra rich and creamy and helps stabilize the bread pudding.
• Milk chocolate: I like to use milk chocolate in this with the pretzel bread but you can use dark chocolate too!
• Pretzel Salt: I like to sprinkle the top with pretzel salt which will hold up as opposed to regular salt which will dissolve into the bread pudding.
• Turbinado Sugar: Turbinado sugar or demerrera sugar is delicious on top because it also won’t dissolve into the bread pudding adding a bit of sweet crunch to the top of the bread pudding.

How to make a Pretzel Bread Pudding?

Prep the Bread

• Cut your stale bread into 1″-2″ (ish) chunks. If the bread doesn’t feel dry, leave it sitting out for a few hours to dry out a bit more.

Custard

• In a separate large microwave safe mixing bowl, melt the butter in 15 second increments.
• Add in the sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon and whisk to combine. Crack in the eggs one at a time and whisk to combine after each egg.
• Pour in the milk and heavy cream and whisk once more.
• Add the stale bread into the bowl with the custard and really mix it up. I like to use my hands to really massage the custard into the bread.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Leave the bread and custard in the mixing bowl and chop up the chocolate.

Assemble & Bake

• Once the oven is hot, add half of the bread pudding mixture into your 10.5″ x 8″ ceramic baking dish.
• Sprinkle the layer with 3/4 of the milk chocolate.
• Add the second half of the bread pudding mixture into the pan and sprinkle with the remaining chocolate.
• Then sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar, basically sprinkle as much as you would with actual sprinkles. Optionally also sprinkle the top with pretzel salt but not as much as the sugar!
• Bake the bread pudding in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 40-45 minutes.
• The bread pudding with puff up and become golden brown. If it starts to get too dark, tent the top with foil.
• Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and leave it to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving it.
• Simply spoon out large servings for everyone.
• Then top with a drizzle of this vanilla custard sauce or just a drizzle of heavy cream.
• To turn it into french toast the next day, you can just let it cool completely in the pan and then cover it and store it in the fridge.

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