What is the best bread to use for bread pudding? And do you really need to use stale bread?

On Friday I reached out to the Twitterverse for some inspiration on what my blog post should be about that day. I received two responses, the first, was to discuss domain parking, the second was to write about what bread is the best for bread pudding.

Morgan Shane Tweet

Since the domain parking post is done, I find myself writing a post about bread pudding on Sunday morning. Over the last day or so I’ve done some research and learned more than I thought I’d ever know about bread pudding.

I also realized that this is a tricky question to answer because it depends on a number of factors as well as a clarification because it turns out there are really two kinds of bread pudding. So let’s dive in.

First – there are two kinds of bread pudding if you want to get technical (so I learned), one is just good old standard bread pudding, the other is called “bread and butter pudding” and yes, the bread you use for each is different.

Bread and butter pudding looks like this:

Bread and Butter Pudding
(Image source – SplendidTable.org)

Described as a “classic British mommy food” it’s super easy to make and when it comes to bread selection, it’s equally easy – just grab some white bread and you’re off to the races.

On the other hand, “bread pudding” which is probably what people are the most familiar with has a much wider range of bread suggestions and can look pretty different depending on the recipe you use. Here’s what one variation looks like:

Bead pudding
(Image Source – Simply Recipes)

At the same time, bread pudding can also look more like a well-defined cake, like it does in this recipe for Grandma’s Bread pudding. As for what kind of bread to use, well that’s up for debate. First let’s cover what seems to be the most hotly contested topic in the bread pudding world…

Should you use stale bread to make bread pudding?

A lot of bread pudding recipes suggest using a hard or stale bread. The reasoning here is that some bread pudding recipes want you to cut the bread into smaller pieces or cubes that will then need to be able to absorb the delicious pudding mixture. The idea here is that stale bread will do a better job of still maintaining some form and texture.

That being said, it looks like the general feeling these days is that you’re actually sacrificing flavor when you use stale bread and that using fresh bread will actually make better bread pudding. After doing the research I’d say, forgot the stale bread idea, use fresh bread.

So what bread should you use for bread pudding?

A soft more buttery bread seems like the most popular and tastiest choice. Going with something like a brioche or challah, but you can also use french bread and there are some people who said they use croissants to make it extra buttery and delectable.

I’m a big fan of Challah so I’d probably use this recipe for bread pudding from the New York Times.

What about gluten free bread pudding?

So my wife has a gluten allergy, so traditional bread pudding isn’t going to work for her. When switching from regular bread pudding to gluten free bread pudding, I read an interesting article that suggested using gluten free bagels for the best results…if you don’t make your own bread that is, which we don’t.

Here’s a good article for anyone that would like to make gluten free bread pudding.

What about bread pudding domain names?

Of course, you might be reading this and thinking, okay, but your blog is about domain names, so what about getting into the exciting world of bread pudding domains? Well, I do have some good news for you, BreadPudding.com, while originally registered back in 2001 is available for sale, or at least it is now when I’m writing this post in April of 2020.

If you do want to delve into the exciting world of bread pudding domains, I’d say owning the exact-match .COM is the way to go. That being said, if someone does decide to launch .pudding at some point in time, bread.pudding will likely be one of the best names in that extension.

All that being said. If you do invest in a bread pudding-related domain, set your expectations low. The .COM, .NET, and .ORG are all listed for sale so chances are if you enter this niche, you’ll need  to build out a site and try to make money through affiliate marketing, maybe sell some bread-makers?

And there you have it. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations, here’s what you’ve learned.

  • When you say “bread pudding” make sure to specify if you mean traditional bread pudding or bread and butter pudding…which is traditional in England
  • Some people say you need to use stale bread for bread pudding but you don’t have to listen to those people
  • You can make gluten free bread pudding, and if you do, it’s the only time that bagels have come up as a popular bread choice
  • If you love bread pudding so much you want to start buying bread pudding domains, the .COM, .NET, and .ORG are for sale

Thanks for reading, now I don’t know about you but I’m feeling pretty hungry right now!

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton