Sweetened Condensed Milk Is The Key For Gourmet Bread Pudding

Bread pudding is easily one of the most classic ways to use up a stale loaf. There are a ton of different ingredients that you can add to bread pudding – and one of the best ones is sweetened condensed milk. 

Traditionally, bread pudding is made of torn pieces of bread soaked in a vat of custard. The base of that custard is typically made with ingredients like cream, milk, sugar, fat, and some flavoring, like vanilla extract. When you add sweetened condensed milk to the recipe, you'll find a much more profound sweet flavor from the custard that will infuse with each piece of bread. Plus, not only will you get an extra creamy custard, but you can also dial down on the amount of sugar you need to add to the custard (or replace it entirely). It's a two-for-one deal.

The exact amount of sweetened condensed milk you'll need to add to the recipe varies on the recipe you select. You'll want to avoid making your custard too creamy — otherwise, it won't soak up into the bread. So, you'll want to dilute the sweetened condensed milk with some milk or water before you mix it in with the rest of your custard ingredients.

To make your bread pudding, you'll want to stir the bread pieces together with your custard base. The key to this recipe is to use stale bread, rather than fresh stuff. The dried bread will be more effective at soaking up all that custardy goodness. You can also pack in other ingredients to bring this bake together more cohesively; try adding some plump, boozy raisins, or a sprinkle of cinnamon. After you mix in your other ingredients and cover your bread, you should pop the container into the fridge overnight so all the flavors can meld together. 

Besides using sweetened condensed milk in the base of the bread pudding, you can also use it to whip up a simple créme anglaise for a topping. Thicken your canned milk with a little bit of cornstarch and add a few drops of vanilla extract before using it as a topping for your tasty, homestyle bread pudding. It's a great way to use up the remainder of an open can and to give your dessert a creamy, extra-sweet twist. Or, take inspiration from another popular dessert: a tres leches cake. Use both sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk in your custard and top it with a play on the créme anglaise for a cohesive, milky dessert that will satisfy your sweet tooth.