Lemon Bread Pudding with a Steady Rise

For Lemon Bread Pudding with a Steady Rise, the counter starts with Brioche bread cut into ¾ inch cubes, granulated sugar, and lemons zested. Portion it for 9 people.

Count on 20 minutes of prep, 28 minutes of cooking, about 1 hour from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

For the Pudding

• 7 cups Brioche bread cut into ¾ inch cubes
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 ½ lemons zested
• 2 cup cream
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup raspberries

For the Topping

• 1 cup bread cut into ½ inch cubes (some can be slightly smaller)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ lemon zested
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons butter melted but not hot

For the Sauce

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice from ½ lemon
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons brandy

How the cooking goes

Make the Bread Pudding

1. Add the lemon zest and sugar to a large bowl and toss with your fingers to break up all the zest. Let sit while you gather your other ingredients. You can also mix it 30 minutes ahead of time if you remember. The longer it sits, the more flavorful your custard will be.
2. Put the half and half, cream and salt and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the eggs until completely incorporated.
3. Layer the bread and raspberries in a 1.5 quart baking dish, and pour the custard mixture over top. You can do this in layers to evenly distribute the lemon zest throughout the bread. You poured it over and then gently lifted the bread and moved it to distribute the zest.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. [At this point you can stop and refrigerate the pudding overnight but you don’t like to wait much longer because the filling will become mushy and the bread pieces indistinct.].
5. Heat the oven to 325°.
6. Prepare your topping while your pudding rests: mix the sugar and the zest together and toss with your fingers to break up the zest. Melt butter, squeeze half a lemon then then add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and butter to the sugar mixture; mix to combine. Add the bread cubes and toss until the bread is coated. Distribute on top of the pudding, pressing down slightly so that the larger pieces are partially submerged.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the custard is set and gives slightly when pressed. It should feel like jello. You also use a cake tester to test the center to make sure it is not still liquid. It will never come out clean like a cake. The cooking time will vary greatly depending on the type and size of your dish. Just watch it.
8. Allow it to cool on a wire rack at least 30 minutes prior to serving.
9. You can serve it warm, ambient temperature or cold. You prefer it warm or ambient temperature – after refrigeration, the topping will begin to soften and lose some of its charm.
10. Serve with lemon whipped cream, a generous drizzle of brandy lemon sauce, and additional fresh raspberries.

Brandy Lemon Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan then heat gently, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved and the sauce is warm.

After it comes off the heat

Wait until the loaf is cool before slicing. Wrap it at room temperature, and freeze slices you will not eat in a couple of days.

If you want another plate from Lemon desserts, open Lemon Whipped Cream after Supper and Lemon Poppyseed Muffins for a Morning Tin.