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savory bread pudding with mushrooms and gruyere in a casserole dish with fresh herbs

Savory Bread Pudding

5 from 2 votes
This savory bread pudding recipe is rich and comforting, with tender mushrooms and melted cheese. Note this recipe requires you to dry out the bread for a few days (or 1 hour in the oven) and then you soak the pudding overnight (or at least 3 hours), so plan ahead!
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Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Soak time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Molly

INGREDIENTS

  • 22 ounces sourdough bread and brioche bread torn or cut into 1-inch cubes (Note 1)
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 8 ounces wild mushrooms roughly chopped (Note 2)
  • 2 shallots thinly sliced
  • 3 celery stalks diced small
  • 6-8 fresh sage leaves thinly sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • 7 large eggs
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) freshly grated gruyere cheese
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) grated parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Dry out the bread by letting it sit out on a baking sheet for 1-2 days. For a quick option, bake it on a sheet pan at 200°F for 1 hour.
  • Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes, until they sweat and start to break down. Stir in the shallots, celery, fresh chopped sage, and thyme, and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook again for 1-2 more minutes, until fragrant. Pour in the white wine and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Cook for another 3-4 minutes to cook off the alcohol then transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
  • Whisk the eggs with warm water until combined. Pour in the cream, milk, 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes and whisk to combine. Finish with the grated gruyere cheese.
  • Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Arrange half of the bread in the bottom of the pan, allowing some pieces to overlap. spread half of the mushroom mixture on top in an even layer. pour half of the egg and cream mixture on top. repeat with the other half of the bread, mushroom, and egg. Cover with plastic wrap and foil and refrigerate overnight (or at least 3 hours).
  • When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the bread pudding from the oven and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese then bake for 45-50 minutes, until it’s set in the center and doesn’t jiggle. Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Equipment

Large skillet
Mixing bowl
9x13-inch (3 quart) casserole dish

Notes

Note 1. Bread. We like to use an even mix of crusty artisan bread and enriched bread for the variation of flavor and texture. Try French bread, Italian bread as an artisan swap, or Challah bread as an enriched bread swap. We couldn't find brioche bread in our grocery store so I tested this with brioche buns and it worked perfectly.
Note 2. Mushrooms. Most grocery stores carry some sort of "gourmet blend" mushrooms. This is what you want! We used a mix of crimini, shitake, and oyster mushrooms.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.2g | Protein: 24.5g | Fat: 27.6g | Cholesterol: 194.4mg | Sodium: 936mg | Fiber: 3.5g | Sugar: 7.3g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 1.9mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @What_mollymade or tag #WhatMollyMade so I can see it and feature you!