Dave’s Bread Pudding
Mon, July 8, 2019 
When I started racing in the 1950s there were no protein bars, the food we carried in our jersey pockets while racing, or musette bags on long training rides, was prepared at home. One of my favorites was my mother’s bread pudding.
Many bread pudding recipes turn out so soft that you need a spoon to eat them, and too wet and sloppy to carry in your pocked and eat in your hand. This bread pudding could be cut in handy size pieces, wrapped in grease proof paper or aluminum foil, and would not fall apart in your pocket or your hand as you ate it.
However, it was moist like a pudding, rather than dry like a cake. Therefore, easy to chow down while riding. I can pretty much remember what went into it, having watched my mother make her bread pudding for many years, long before I even got into bike racing.
The main ingredient was left over stale bread, milk, eggs, butter, etc. like any cake or pudding, but what proportions for the ingredients?
There was only one way to find out, actually put one together, bake it and eat it. Maybe my mother was looking over my shoulder as I assembled it, because it turned out exactly as I remember.
Ingredients:
8 cups white bread, cut into ½ inch cubes. If you can crumble the bread further into breadcrumbs, even better.
3/4 cup raisins.
3/4 cup brown coconut sugar, (Substitute regular brown sugar.)
4 cups whole milk.
3 Large Eggs.
2 Tablespoons Coconut oil. (Substitute butter.)
4 Tablespoons Cocoa or cooking chocolate.
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Directions:
Mix the cubed or crumbled bread thoroughly with the raisins, then place in a greased dish, to fill the bottom of the dish to the halfway line. (Grease dish with additional coconut oil or butter.)
Place all the other 6 ingredients in a blender and blend. If you don’t have a blender mix thoroughly by hand.
Pour the liquid from the blender over the breadcrumbs to cover the bread completely, but not excessively. Use a little extra milk if it doesn’t.
I used a fairly large oven proof casserole dish, 10 in. x 10 in. x 2 ½ in. deep. It took 8 cups of bread (About 12 slices.) to half fill the dish. If you use a smaller dish, discover how much bread it will take to fill the dish to the halfway line, and scale back the other ingredients proportionately.
The pudding will rise slightly as it cooks, hence you only fill the dish halfway. But the dish needs to be deep enough that the uncooked pudding is at least one inch deep, or it may dry out in the center.
Place the open dish in the center of the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a knife pushed in the center comes out clean. I baked mine for 55 minutes, a smaller dish may take less time.
Allow to cool, then refrigerate. The bread pudding should be hard and crisp on the outside but soft and moist on the inside. Cut into handy size pieces, and wrap in aluminum foil, or place in a zip-lock sandwich bag.
A good size piece like the one pictured above should be good for 50 miles. Your mileage may vary.
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Reader Comments (2)
That looks pretty good. I don't think Ive seen anyone carry bread pudding in their pocket.
Maybe bring along an Untapped maple syrup and squirt some on as you snack.
Thank you for your thoughtful and solid entries. I really like your site.