Thomas Keller's Leek Bread Pudding Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Serves a Crowd

by: Food52

October29,2015

4.5

11 Ratings

  • Serves 12 (as a side)

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes


Here’s how to do right by stuffing: Remove stock, replace with cream. Add plenty of cheese. We’ve been thanking Thomas Keller for this recipe for years. Join us? Adapted slightly from Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home (Artisan, 2009). —Food52

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 2 cups1/2-inch thick sliced leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and rinsed
  • 4 tablespoonsunsalted butter
  • 12 cups1-inch cubed crustless brioche or Pullman loaf
  • 1 tablespoonfinely chopped chives
  • 1 teaspoonfresh thyme leaves
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 cupswhole milk
  • 3 cupsheavy cream
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cupshredded Comte or Emmenthaler cheese
Directions
  1. Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat, drain excess water from leeks, and add to pan. Season with salt, and sauté until leeks begin to soften, about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. (They'll release liquid as they cook.) Stir in butter. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft, about 30 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Heat oven to 350° F. While leeks are cooking, spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake until dry and pale gold, about 20 minutes, turning pan about halfway through. Transfer to a large bowl, leaving the oven on.
  3. Add leeks, chives, and thyme to the bowl of bread; toss well. In another large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then whisk in milk, cream, a generous pinch of salt, pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.
  4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese in bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Spread 1/2 of bread mixture in pan, and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup cheese. Spread remaining bread mixture in pan, and sprinkle with another 1/4 cup cheese. Pour in enough milk mixture to cover bread, and gently press on bread so milk soaks in. Let rest 15 minutes.
  5. Add remaining milk mixture, letting some bread cubes protrude. Sprinkle with salt and remaining cheese. Bake until pudding is set and top is brown and bubbling, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve hot.

Tags:

  • Pudding
  • Bread
  • American
  • Chive
  • Leek
  • Milk/Cream
  • Nutmeg
  • Thyme
  • Cheese
  • Grains
  • Serves a Crowd
  • Fall

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Sara DePasquale

  • peeply

  • Tori Pintar

  • karin.anderson.52

  • Margie

Popular on Food52

25 Reviews

Sara D. November 26, 2021

I cut this down by 2/3 for an intimate gathering. I still used the same amount of herbs and leeks as if for a full batch & that seemed about right. This recipe was fine but I prefer my traditional stuffing recipe. Always fun to try something new though!

Angela December 26, 2020

Bland, too soft, and not enough cheese. Most of the reviews double the spices and leeks - they’re right.

peeply November 25, 2018

An absolute hit every time. I double the herbs and add nutmeg, ginger and allspice to the cream for more soaked in flavor. Also double the leeks and add sautéed portobello mushrooms and ground turkey or sausage. Addictive!

Tori P. November 23, 2018

This was so delicious and despite the heavy ingredients it was a fluffy bread pudding for Thanksgiving. I doubled the leeks and added some fresh cranberries to the leeks at the end of cooking. I doubled the chives and added some lemon zest. I used 1 cup swiss cheese and 1/2 cup beechers flagship. I think you could add more cheese but that sort of changes the richness of it. I liked that the cheese was more of a flavor enhancer as opposed to a dominant fIavor. I only had to bake it about 1 hr 15 min.

karin.anderson.52 April 2, 2018

I made this recipe, realizing right away that the amounts of leek, chives, and thyme could not be sufficient for the amount of bread - I doubled them. And tripled the cheese. Also, added a bit of leftover prosciutto. The result was very tasty, and I will make it again. But 1 1/2 hours baking time is way too long, fortunately I checked after 45 minutes, and the bread pudding was nicely browned, crisp and done.

susan February 17, 2018

I just added milk mixture and it doesn't come close to "covering bread." Bread in pan is ~3" high and milk only came up to about 1/2 that. Did anyone else find this? I'm tossing it to make sure all bread gets egg mix in it, but it's definitely not swimming like directions indicate it should.

Renée R. November 22, 2016

I just finished making this and it only took 42 minutes to bake. It was firm and nicely browned. I've now done some investigating and there are many sites that give the baking time as 1 1/2 hours, but there are others that give it 35 to 45 minutes. I can't imagine baking this for the longer length of time. The custard would surely break, right? It is gorgeous and absolutely delicious.

Suzanne B. November 21, 2016

Can this be made with cornbread? I have two gluten free guests - trying to decide what bread to use.

Tori P. November 23, 2018

I definitely think it could. I bet you'll get a denser product because cornflour often yields a denser bread but I bet it would still be delicious.

violetnp November 21, 2016

Can you omit the cheese and have it turn out well?

Randi U. November 11, 2016

have made this with good gluten free bread for the last two years and everyone loves it!

Betty G. September 4, 2016

My daughter made this for our Thanksgiving dinner last year. It was wonderful! I'd like to make it for a dinner party. Unfortunately, my husband has an allergy to anything onion related. I thought about using mushrooms instead but I'm afraid it will tur the dish grey. What could I use instead of leeks?

erin November 2, 2016

I think celery, cooked slowly in butter just like the leeks above, would work nicely here as an onion replacement. Or even fennel, if you're a fan. I'd include mushrooms, regardless - they'll be so good with the thyme and cream, and if you sauté them alongside the celery they shouldn't release much color into the final dish (even if they did the taste would be worth it).

Margie November 28, 2015

Totally wonderful addition to Thanksgiving dinner. Makes a LOT, so next time will do half..but other than that, no changes at all. Cheesy deliciousness!

Erika E. November 25, 2015

I plan to make early Thursday morning, for a dinner party on Friday. Wondering about undercooking it a bit and finishing/reheating. Thoughts?

hmgbrd7 November 23, 2015

2 questions--think a crusty bread would work here (i.e. a baguette or whole grain batard)? Would this freeze well? Thanks!

piccantedolce November 22, 2015

awesome! Thanks for this info. I'm thinking I'll test it out for the Thanksgiving dinner I'm throwing for my friends here in Toronto.

Heather P. November 7, 2015

This has been my vegetarian stuffing for three years now. It's so delicious (and even better the next day, in my opinion).

Rita C. November 20, 2015

Thanks for the tip, Heather. SO I'm assuming this can be made ahead and reheated on day of?

Heather P. November 21, 2015

Absolutely! I always make this on Wednesday and reheat it in the oven on Thursday while the turkey is resting/being carved.

Rita C. November 26, 2015

Thank you! Making this tonight :)

Lisa H. November 16, 2017

How long and at what temp for reheating?

Rita C. November 16, 2017

I don't exactly remember know, but guessing 350 for 30mins?

Rita C. November 16, 2017

know = now :)

Lisa H. November 16, 2017

Thank you!

Thomas Keller's Leek Bread Pudding Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why is my bread pudding so watery? ›

Only Cover The Bread Pudding In Oven For Some Of The Time

If you take it out too soon, you'll be left with a mushy and wet middle that hasn't been given the time it needs in the oven to set, but with a super crispy top -- not ideal, to say the least.

Why is bread pudding called bread pudding? ›

' If you're wondering why it is called a pudding, it's because this dish includes a cereal base (the bread) and has a soft and spongy consistency after baking.

Why does my bread and butter pudding sink? ›

The eggs are the only thing that provides support, steam from the milk is what causes the puddings to rise, cooling the puddings causes the steam to condense, and the pudding collapses.

What is bread and butter pudding made of? ›

What you need for Bread and Butter Pudding. Bread…butter… and just a few other things: eggs, milk, cream (or more milk), sugar (less than in most recipes you'll find), plus sultanas or raisins, cinnamon and vanilla for flavour.

How do I tell when bread pudding is done? ›

Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Another way to judge whether the pudding is fully baked, is to gently press down on the center of the pudding. If any custard comes up to the top, the pudding needs to be baked a little longer.

What is the best thickener for pudding? ›

Measure an alternative starch-based thickener, such as arrowroot powder, tapioca powder or rice starch, and combine it with the sugar called for in your pudding recipe. These alternative starches are comparable to cornstarch in thickening power, and twice as potent as wheat flour, so measure accordingly.

Why does my bread pudding taste like egg? ›

Bread pudding's magic is how the old, dried bread can be re-invigorated with a mixture of milk, eggs, and sugar that it soaks up like a sponge, but when the eggs aren't properly beaten you have a separation of the beaten yolk from the beaten whites which gives you the scrambled egg look and flavor.

Why is it called poor mans pudding? ›

This dessert was created by Georgette Falardeau, wife of Camillien Houde, mayor of Montreal, during the start of the Great Depression. Georgette wanted to bring something sweet to soothe the souls of poor and unemployed people.

Why is it called piggy pudding? ›

Why Is It Called Figgy Pudding? The 'pudding' part of the name makes it a dessert in Britain, but not the custardy type of dish most Americans would associate with the word. At some point the dish included figs, lending itself to the term of 'figgy' as part of a Christmas pudding recipe.

Is bread pudding supposed to jiggle? ›

After two score or more of tests, we determined that the bread budding should wobble like a Jell-O mold when removed from the oven--it will continue to cook after removal. Another tip is to remove the pudding from the oven just as it begins to inflate and rise up high in the pan.

Do you eat bread pudding with a spoon or fork? ›

Advice: Ditch the fork – it's completely superfluous – and dig in with the spoon!

Should I cover my bread pudding when baking? ›

Cover your pudding with aluminum foil before it goes into the oven, which will protect the top from burning, and remove the foil 15 minutes before the baking time is up for a crispy finish.

What is queen of pudding made of? ›

Queen of puddings is a quintessentially British dessert made of a custardy bread base, fruit, and meringue. This layered concoction begins with a sweet mixture of milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, and fresh breadcrumbs. Fruit is added either to this base or between the base and the meringue top—the choice is yours.

What is black pudding in food? ›

Black pudding is a distinct regional type of blood sausage originating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is made from pork or occasionally beef blood, with pork fat or beef suet, and a cereal, usually oatmeal, oat groats, or barley groats.

What to do if pudding is too watery? ›

What about fixing a runny pudding? Eggs or cornstarch will both help to thicken things up, but you do have other options. If vegan options aren't a concern for you, gelatin is a great way to fix a pudding that is a little too soupy for your liking.

Is bread pudding supposed to be soggy? ›

Making perfect bread pudding

Since this is a custard dish, we need to treat it as such, thermally. We want bread that is moist throughout, not chewy and dry. And what we don't want from our custard is something that is either undercooked and runny (soggy milk bread anyone?) or overcooked and scrambled-eggy.

Will my pudding thicken when it cools? ›

It will coat the back of the spoon; test it by running your finger down the spoon. You should wipe a clear, clean line through the custard. Remove from heat. The pudding will thicken more as it cools.

Which ingredient causes the pudding to thicken? ›

A key ingredient in instant pudding is gelatinized starch, a dried instant starch that readily absorbs liquids, which causes the pudding to gel when mixed with milk. Additional ingredients sometimes used as a thickener include gums that are soluble in cold water, such as carrageenans and alginates.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Tyson Zemlak

Last Updated:

Views: 6037

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (43 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Tyson Zemlak

Birthday: 1992-03-17

Address: Apt. 662 96191 Quigley Dam, Kubview, MA 42013

Phone: +441678032891

Job: Community-Services Orchestrator

Hobby: Coffee roasting, Calligraphy, Metalworking, Fashion, Vehicle restoration, Shopping, Photography

Introduction: My name is Tyson Zemlak, I am a excited, light, sparkling, super, open, fair, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.