The Reason Your Bread Pudding Is Mushy (And How To Fix It) - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

The Reason Your Bread Pudding Is Mushy (And How To Fix It) - Tasting Table? ›

If the bread doesn't soak up enough custard, the end result will be mushy. The solution is to use bread that has dried out a bit. If possible, buy the bread a couple of days early, then slice it and leave it out.

Only Cover The Bread Pudding In Oven For Some Of The Time

If you take it out too soon, you'll be left with a mushy and wet middle that hasn't been given the time it needs in the oven to set, but with a super crispy top -- not ideal, to say the least.

Reheating for Best Results

Oven: For those preferring a crisp top, preheating the oven to 350°F and placing the bread pudding in a baking dish with some water at the bottom can recreate the original baking environment. Cover with foil and heat until warm, approximately 20 minutes.

Not allowing it to rest after baking

It is usual for bread pudding to somewhat collapse when it goes from the oven to the room temperature air, but you surely don't want to further contribute to it becoming flat. Therefore, don't dish it out too quickly.

Add the butter pieces overtop and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired. Bake for 50-55 minutes at 375F (190C). Your bread pudding is done when the center is lightly jiggly and the surface is evenly browned.

Pudding is usually runny because it has been stored in the refrigerator for too long or in an open space. Another cause could be due to improper cooking methods.

The key is to apply gentle heat in a way that restores the pudding's original allure without drying it out or altering its delicate balance of flavors. Reheating bread pudding in the oven has proven to be the most effective method to preserve its moistness.

Bake about 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Another way to judge whether the pudding is fully baked, is to gently press down on the center of the pudding. If any custard comes up to the top, the pudding needs to be baked a little longer.

Before the inside of your pudding is set, the outer layer can become burnt and dry, which is why covering bread pudding during baking is the best move.

If you notice lumps beginning to form in a custard, immediately pour it out of the hot pot into a bowl and pulse it with a handheld blender in five-second intervals until it is nearly smooth. This can take from 15 to 45 seconds, depending on how big the lumps are.

Why does my bread pudding look like scrambled eggs? ›

Overcooking will give your bread pudding a scrambled consistency.

Only cover the bread pudding in oven for some of the time

If you take it out too soon, you'll be left with a mushy and wet middle that hasn't been given the time it needs in the oven to set, but with a super crispy top — not ideal, to say the least.

After you have steamed and cooled your pudding, replace the foil with a freshly buttered piece to keep it moist and store in a cool, dark place, or the fridge, until you are ready to reheat it on Christmas day.

Allow the bread pudding to cool completely after baking. Cover tightly or transfer to a shallow, airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Thicken runny pudding with gelatin

Eggs or cornstarch will both help to thicken things up, but you do have other options. If vegan options aren't a concern for you, gelatin is a great way to fix a pudding that is a little too soupy for your liking.

Once you've shaped your dough, this rising process prior to baking produces the even, structured crumb you find inside any loaf. If the dough doesn't fill out with gas, perhaps because it hasn't had time to rise properly, the inside of the loaf will remain soggy and dense as the dough won't bake properly.