Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Chocolate Bread Pudding (Tuesdays with Dorie)

Food Librarian - Chocolate Bread Pudding
Chocolate Bread Pudding

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie selection, Lauren of Upper East Side Chronicle picked Four Star Chocolate Bread Pudding on page 410 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

I've never made bread pudding! I've devoured it in restaurants but never made it! What a delight that Lauren selected this recipe.

Food Librarian - Chocolate Bread Pudding
I picked up this lovely and huge brioche from my local Italian deli (and had to pick up their famous sandwich while I was there...you know, stimulating the local economy and all). Isn't it a beauty? After weighing it, I figured I should use half of the brioche (AKA butter delivery device).

After toasting the brioche pieces for 10 minutes at 350 degrees, I just wasn't sure how much bread you should have in a bread pudding! :) Once I poured the custard mixture on the bread, I felt they were swimming and cut up another quarter of the brioche (so I used a total of 18 ounces or 3/4 of the loaf).

Only after 30 minutes did I realize I probably didn't need the extra bread as the bread is a super sponge that absorbed most of the custard mixture. (See, I told you I haven't made bread pudding before...)

I brought it into work and suggested a 10 second zap in the microwave. Those 10 seconds made all the difference in the world. It softened the custard a bit and just made the whole bread pudding sing.

Food Librarian - Chocolate Bread Pudding
Carbs + Butter + Chocolate = Yum

Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers! And look for the recipe on Lauren's Upper East Side Chronicle blog or page 410 of Dorie's book, Baking. Also, did you know Dorie Greenspan is on Twitter? Follow the most wonderful cookbook author online!

46 comments:

  1. MartheApril 21, 2009 at 3:53 AM

    I had never had bread pudding before and did't really love it. Either I did something terribly wrong or I'm simply not a bread pudding girl.

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  2. AudreyApril 21, 2009 at 4:04 AM

    Your pudding looks so nice...(mine tasted very good, but wasn't especially pretty!) And I think you (and everyone else who used bread that they bought or creative leftovers) are closer to the spirit of bread pudding than those of us who ruined, or at least mis-treated, a perfectly lovely loaf of homemade bread! It's like brioche eing a butter and egg delivery service...bread pudding should probably be a recycling project (but in a good way!)

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  3. AmandaApril 21, 2009 at 4:34 AM

    I agree, warming it made a huge difference! I am a fan on vanilla custard bread pudding, but I really liked this one too. It was even better drizzled with chocolate sauce or cream anglaise!

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  4. SweetThingsTOApril 21, 2009 at 4:40 AM

    I think you said it perfectly "Carbs + Butter + Chocolate = Yum"

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  5. farahApril 21, 2009 at 4:53 AM

    Wow, this looks fabulous, like something i'd order at a restaurant for sure! I wish i had an italian deli near me that sells brioche like that. I'm going to check Dorie out on twitter, thanks for the info :)

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  6. LaurenApril 21, 2009 at 5:14 AM

    I'm so happy you enjoyed the pudding. Thanks for baking along with me. Your pictures look delicious

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  7. LaurenApril 21, 2009 at 5:48 AM

    looks great! your bread cube were nice and even- I opted to tear mine as I was too lazy to get a cutting board . . . that brioche looks pretty great by itself though . . .

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  8. ElianaApril 21, 2009 at 6:03 AM

    I love bread pudding and making it with brioche is a must. I made it for the first time a few weeks ago and wouldn't have it any other way. Your's looks phenomenal.

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  9. StephApril 21, 2009 at 6:58 AM

    You have the luckiest coworkers with you always bringing them treats!

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  10. MumsyApril 21, 2009 at 7:55 AM

    That brioche is gorgeous. You should have just said you made it. :)

    Looks great! I guess I'll have to get brave and try it with the chocolate custard. I just cut my choc into chunks.

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  11. AprilApril 21, 2009 at 7:58 AM

    Best dessert ever! I kind of wished I had used brioche with all of its buttery goodness.

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  12. SaraApril 21, 2009 at 8:52 AM

    I totally agree with your very scientific equation of Yum.
    I also agree that this was better warm.

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  13. AmyRuthApril 21, 2009 at 8:53 AM

    LOL I love your caloric equation! What a hoot! So dangerous huh? You are so, or maybe I should say your coworkers are so lucky. Looks like a lovely loaf of bread....WOW! must have been a great sandwich, the economy and all he he Your BP looks delish and I thought it to be a yummy morsel as well. Chocolate and all.
    AmyRuth

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  14. xkApril 21, 2009 at 9:41 AM

    Yum! Brioche and chocolate...does it get any better? Where can I find brioche like that in LA?

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  15. AudrieApril 21, 2009 at 9:42 AM

    Years ago I found an amazing choc bread and butter pudding recipe... and now I can't bring myself to eat ones that aren't choc hehe! So yum!!

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  16. IreneApril 21, 2009 at 9:49 AM

    Bread pudding is one of my favorite desserts! I just had one this weekend with strawberry compote and creme anglaise... talk about carbs + [I don't even want to think about it]! It looks amazing!

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  17. UnknownApril 21, 2009 at 9:57 AM

    Your bread pudding looks amazing Mary! I'd never made or tasted bread pudding before but I was a big fan of this one. I especially liked it warm!

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  18. AnonymousApril 21, 2009 at 9:59 AM

    Ooh! That brioche is making me hungry! Great post and your photos are fantastic!

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  19. MeganApril 21, 2009 at 10:08 AM

    Butter delivery service? I am totally stealing that line.

    This was a great recipe, wasn't it? Definitely worth making again.

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  20. chocolatechicApril 21, 2009 at 11:35 AM

    Your pictures are fantastic.

    I think I will be making a sauce for mine.

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  21. CathyApril 21, 2009 at 12:15 PM

    What gorgeous bread pudding! I can almost hear it singing from here. I tell you what, if I was able to buy bread that beautiful where I live, I don't think I'd ever bake it. I liked this best warm as well -- 10 seconds on the microwave sounds about perfect to me!

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  22. AnonymousApril 21, 2009 at 12:20 PM

    How you made it look so nice in the photos I will never know. But it was wonderful...

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  23. KarenApril 21, 2009 at 12:34 PM

    I love bread pudding but have never made it with chocolate. Now I'm wondering why not?!

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  24. AnonymousApril 21, 2009 at 2:03 PM

    YOur bread pudding looks wonderful. I'm glad it was a success at work.

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  25. EsiApril 21, 2009 at 2:09 PM

    I just tried chocolate bread pudding for the first time at Comme Ca a few months ago and now I dream of it. Gorgeous!

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  26. PearlApril 21, 2009 at 3:39 PM

    i've never made or had chocolate pudding, but i'd like to be able to try to make it! thanks for sharing :D

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  27. Engineer BakerApril 21, 2009 at 4:36 PM

    Mmmm... butter delivery device + chocolate? Heaven! Yours looks just perfect.

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  28. AnonymousApril 21, 2009 at 4:41 PM

    Great job making your own brioche for this. I also loved the bread pudding warmed just a bit (with chocolate sauce and whipped cream....). :-)

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  29. ErinApril 21, 2009 at 5:33 PM

    Your bread pudding looks great! I didn't have as much luck with mine...it had good flavor, but I had two layers...custard and bread.

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  30. PamelaApril 21, 2009 at 7:44 PM

    It does look perfect, that's for sure. Great pictures!

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  31. Welcome to our crazy blessed lifeApril 21, 2009 at 8:23 PM

    Yours looks really pretty and delicious! :)

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  32. Monica HApril 21, 2009 at 10:00 PM

    This looks so delicious and I don't even like bread pudding. Great job!

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  33. JudyApril 21, 2009 at 10:31 PM

    Looks delicious, as usual. Your brioche looks very much like the one I bought at TJs.

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  34. betty geekApril 21, 2009 at 10:39 PM

    Lots of carbs always mean lots of yum! ;)

    Great photos . . your bread pudding actually looks like mine, but I couldn't get any day shots since I made this a few hours ago.

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  35. eatme_deliciousApril 22, 2009 at 7:50 AM

    Mmm looks good!

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  36. ElyseApril 22, 2009 at 9:50 AM

    Mmm, your bread pudding looks totally fabulous! That brioche was gorgeous to begin with, but in a chocolate bread pudding, well, it just takes on a new and wonderful identity. I'm sure everyone at work was thrilled with you for bringing this in!

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  37. PiggyApril 22, 2009 at 11:15 AM

    I've never made bread pudding too, and I'm also glad that I gave the recipe a try. :-) Yours looks yummy!

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  38. steph- whisk/spoonApril 22, 2009 at 1:42 PM

    yum, yum! that looks great!

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  39. BridgetApril 22, 2009 at 2:14 PM

    I think you have the right ratio of bread to pudding. It looks almost exactly like the picture in the book.

    I'm surprised by how many of us had never made bread pudding before!

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  40. Ingrid_3BsApril 23, 2009 at 9:51 AM

    Looooove bread pudding! Yours looks good. I like how you have almost a marble effect.
    ~ingrid

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  41. SumiApril 23, 2009 at 10:22 PM

    Mary - try the Tartine bread pudding recipe. It's incredible. Truly.

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  42. LizApril 24, 2009 at 10:02 PM

    That brioche is gorgeous! What Italian deli did you get it from? I feel like I drove all over LA and couldn't find brioche, although I did find some cranky Russian bakers who were mad I wouldn't buy their bread. Ah, fair city.

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  43. The Food LibrarianApril 24, 2009 at 10:11 PM

    Liz, I picked up my Brioche in the South Bay at the Giuliano's Delicatessen and Bakery in Gardena.
    1138 W Gardena Blvd
    Gardena, CA 90247
    (310) 323-6990

    (Get the torpedo sandwich while there!) Also, Gardena is the original and I've heard that the Torrance location with the same name is a different owner. I don't know if they have brioche. I called Gardena before picking it up so they put it aside for me. I don't remember exactly, but it was under $6.00 for the huge loaf.

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  44. JaimeApril 25, 2009 at 8:32 PM

    yours looks so much like Dorie's...mine ended up a brown mess

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  45. LynnMay 18, 2009 at 6:40 PM

    Chocolate bread pudding: this looks yummy. Have you ever had chocolate rice pudding? It's equally tasty. Love using up those leftovers, especially when you can add chocolate to them :)

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  46. statuskuoDecember 7, 2013 at 11:14 PM

    tried making this today from Dorie's Baking book. It was horrible. I don't understand what was wrong, but it was kind of tasteless. It didn't seem to have enough sugar (I did not apply the powdered sugar). The recipe said 1/2 cup sugar. Was there a typo?
    I used home made brioche- it did not have much sugar in it- was the trick in getting a brioche that was sweet?

    Awful though...everything soaked correctly, but the thing was tasteless, and the chocolate did not improve it.

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