Chef Dean
Apple Cinnamon Pancakes
Tender buttermilk pancakes folded with butter-glazed apple pieces and warm cinnamon, stacked high and drowning in maple syrup. This is Sunday morning the way it ought to be.
Culinary Explorer
A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
Savory Bread Pudding with Market Vegetables
Created by
Crusty bread and seasonal vegetables suspended in a silky custard, baked until golden and puffed, the kind of forgiving dish that welcomes whatever the market offers and feeds a crowd without fuss.
Breakfast & Brunch
American
Make Ahead
Potluck
Budget Friendly
30 min
Active Time
55 min cook•9 hr 25 min total
Yield8 servings
Day-old bread is not a problem to solve. It is an ingredient waiting for its purpose. This pudding exists because someone, long ago, refused to waste good bread. That impulse, that refusal to throw away what took labor to make, still matters.
The vegetables here should come from your market, your garden, or your neighbor who grows too much. What you use depends on what is alive and ready when you are cooking. Spring might bring asparagus and tender leeks. Summer demands zucchini and tomatoes. Fall welcomes chard and roasted squash. The recipe bends to the season because that is how real cooking works.
Technique stays simple. You cube the bread. You cook the vegetables gently. You pour custard over everything and let time do the rest. The bread drinks up the eggs and cream overnight, softening into something entirely new. When it bakes, the top turns golden and crisp while the center stays creamy. Your choices shape this dish. The bread you saved, the farmer you supported, the vegetables at their peak. Every meal is a meaningful choice, and this one rewards your attention.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
day-old crusty bread
Quantity
1 pound
such as sourdough or country loaf
unsalted butter
Quantity
2 tablespoons
good olive oil
Quantity
2 tablespoons
large leek
Quantity
1
white and light green parts, cleaned and sliced
seasonal vegetables
Quantity
2 cups
cut into bite-sized pieces
garlic
Quantity
3 cloves
minced
fresh thyme leaves
Quantity
1 teaspoon
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon, divided
black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon, divided
freshly ground
large eggs
Quantity
6
whole milk
Quantity
2 cups
heavy cream
Quantity
1 cup
nutmeg
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly grated
gruyère cheese
Quantity
4 ounces
grated
parmesan cheese
Quantity
2 ounces
finely grated
fresh herbs for finishing (optional)
Quantity
2 tablespoons
such as chives or parsley
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| day-old crusty breadsuch as sourdough or country loaf | 1 pound |
| unsalted butter | 2 tablespoons |
| good olive oil | 2 tablespoons |
| large leekwhite and light green parts, cleaned and sliced | 1 |
| seasonal vegetablescut into bite-sized pieces | 2 cups |
| garlicminced | 3 cloves |
| fresh thyme leaves | 1 teaspoon |
| fine sea salt | 1 teaspoon, divided |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/2 teaspoon, divided |
| large eggs | 6 |
| whole milk | 2 cups |
| heavy cream | 1 cup |
| nutmegfreshly grated | 1/4 teaspoon |
| gruyère cheesegrated | 4 ounces |
| parmesan cheesefinely grated | 2 ounces |
| fresh herbs for finishing (optional)such as chives or parsley | 2 tablespoons |
Equipment Needed
- •9x13 inch baking dish
- •Large skillet
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Box grater or microplane
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the bread
Tear or cut the bread into rough one-inch cubes. You want irregular pieces, not perfect squares. The torn edges soak up custard better and create more texture when baked. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and let them sit uncovered while you prepare everything else. If your bread is fresh, toast the cubes in a 300F oven for fifteen minutes to dry them out.
The best bread for this is two or three days old, crusty on the outside and slightly stale within. Ask your baker for yesterday's loaves. - 2
Cook the vegetables gently
Warm the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and cook until soft and sweet, about five minutes. They should not brown, just surrender their sharpness. Add your seasonal vegetables and cook until barely tender, another four to six minutes depending on what you have chosen. Stir in the garlic and thyme during the last minute. Season with half the salt and pepper. The vegetables should taste good on their own.
- 3
Build the custard
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until uniform. Add the milk, cream, nutmeg, and remaining salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth. The custard should be well seasoned because the bread will absorb and dilute the flavor. Taste it. Adjust. Trust yourself.
- 4
Assemble the pudding
Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish generously. Scatter half the bread cubes in the bottom. Spread the cooked vegetables evenly over the bread. Sprinkle with half the gruyère. Add the remaining bread, pressing gently to create an even layer. Pour the custard slowly over everything, using a spatula to press the bread down so it absorbs the liquid. Top with remaining gruyère and all the parmesan.
The bread should feel saturated but not swimming. If cubes on top remain dry, press them down with your hands and let them drink. - 5
Let it rest overnight
Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least eight hours, or overnight. This waiting is essential. The bread needs time to fully absorb the custard, transforming from separate ingredients into something unified. Patience here makes the difference between good and memorable.
- 6
Bake until golden
Remove the pudding from the refrigerator thirty minutes before baking. Preheat your oven to 350F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake uncovered until puffed, golden brown, and set in the center, fifty to fifty-five minutes. The edges will pull away slightly from the dish and the top will be deeply browned in spots. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean.
- 7
Rest and serve
Let the pudding rest for ten minutes before serving. It will settle slightly as it cools, which is as it should be. Scatter fresh herbs over the top. Cut into generous squares and serve warm. The texture should be creamy within, with a crisp golden crust on top.
Chef Tips
- •Save bread intentionally for this dish. When a loaf goes stale, cube it and freeze. You will have perfect bread pudding bread whenever you need it.
- •Seasonal vegetable suggestions: Spring, use asparagus, peas, and ramps. Summer, try zucchini, corn, and cherry tomatoes. Fall and winter, reach for chard, roasted squash, or sautéed mushrooms.
- •The cheese matters. Gruyère from a good cheese counter has depth that pre-shredded versions lack. Grate it yourself.
- •This dish reheats beautifully. Cover individual portions and warm in a 325F oven for fifteen minutes. The microwave will make it rubbery.
Advance Preparation
- •The assembled, unbaked pudding can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. This is ideal for entertaining.
- •Baked pudding keeps refrigerated for 4 days. Reheat covered in a 325F oven until warmed through.
- •Cooked vegetables can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before assembling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 225g)
Calories
510 calories
Total Fat
32 g
Saturated Fat
15 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
16 g
Cholesterol
208 mg
Sodium
825 mg
Total Carbohydrates
37 g
Dietary Fiber
2 g
Sugars
6 g
Protein
21 g
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