Budín de pan – Mexican bread pudding with raisins Recipe
Budín de pan is the Mexican way to use up stale bread – it’s turned into a moist, cinnamon-scented pudding baked in the oven. The flavor is reminiscent of a mix between a bundt cake and a challah-and-raisin bake. It’s a simple dessert that works perfectly as a sweet end to dinner or as a sweet breakfast on a lazy Sunday.
Budín de pan is the essence of Mexican home cooking: nothing goes to waste, and yesterday’s bread becomes a moist, cinnamon-scented dessert. The combination of milk, eggs, raisins and orange zest gives a flavor a bit like a holiday cake, but with the texture of a delicate pudding. It’s the kind of bake that fills the whole house with aroma just a few minutes after going into the oven.
Chef's tips
The most important thing is that the milk is hot but not boiling – if it’s too hot, the eggs can curdle and the pudding will turn out lumpy. After pouring the milk-and-egg mixture over the bread, really give it at least 10 minutes to soak, otherwise you’ll end up with dry pieces in the middle. Near the end of baking, gently press the center with a spoon: it should be springy like jelly, not liquid – that’s the best sign the dessert is ready.
How to serve
I like to serve it slightly warm, with a spoonful of thick natural yogurt or a dollop of whipped cream and an extra pinch of cinnamon on top. It pairs wonderfully with coffee with milk or a strong espresso, and for a lazy Sunday breakfast – a glass of cocoa. If you’re making it for a family dinner, you can bake it in individual ramekins so everyone gets their own little portion.
Ingredients
- wheat bread stale, can be rolls, challah or sandwich bread, cut into cubes - 300 g
- milk whole or 2% - 600 ml
- eggs - 4 piece
- sugar - 120 g
- butter melted, plus a bit for greasing the dish - 60 g
- raisins optionally soaked in warm water or rum - 80 g
- ground cinnamon - 1 teaspoon
- vanilla extract or vanilla sugar - 1 teaspoon
- orange zest grated, optional - 1 tablespoon
- salt - 0.25 teaspoons
- icing sugar for dusting - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Grease a baking dish of about 20×25 cm with butter.
- Cut the stale bread into cubes about 2 cm on a side and place in a large bowl.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk until hot but not boiling (you should see steam and small bubbles around the edges). Remove from the heat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until smooth.
- Slowly pour the warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly so the eggs don’t curdle.
- Add the melted butter and, if using, the grated orange zest and mix.
- Pour the milk-and-egg mixture over the bread cubes. Gently stir so all the bread is soaked. Set aside for 10 minutes so the liquid can soak in well.
- Add the raisins and gently mix so they are evenly distributed.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish and smooth the top with a spoon. If you like, you can place a few extra bread cubes on top so they brown nicely.
- Place the dish in the oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the top is golden and the center is springy when lightly pressed with a spoon.
- Remove the pudding from the oven and let it stand for 10–15 minutes to cool slightly and set.
- Dust with icing sugar before serving. You can serve it warm or at room temperature.
Storage
Store the cooled pudding covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the oven or microwave until warm and soft again. If freezing, follow the portioning and wrapping instructions and consume within about 1 month for best flavor and texture.
