White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Strawberries

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Cubes of stale brioche soak overnight in a white-chocolate custard, then bake into a pudding that's crisp on top and almost spoonable underneath. The sauce is the easiest part: hot cream poured over chopped white chocolate off the heat, stirred smooth. Macerated strawberries cut the sweetness and make it look like the dessert plate it's meant to be.

Ingredients

• 1 lb brioche or challah, stale, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 10 cups)
• 6 oz good white chocolate (bars, not chips), finely chopped
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, for the dish
• 2 tbsp turbinado or granulated sugar, for the top

• 6 oz good white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. If your brioche is fresh, dry it out first: spread the cubes on two sheet pans and bake at 300°F for 12 to 15 minutes, tossing once, until dry to the touch but not browned. Cool completely. Stale bread drinks up custard; fresh bread turns to mush.
2. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish generously and pile in the bread cubes.
3. Combine the 2 cups cream and 1 cup milk in a saucepan over medium heat and warm until steaming and just barely bubbling at the edges, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the 6 oz chopped white chocolate, and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes, then whisk until completely smooth.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the 4 eggs, 3 yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Whisking constantly, pour in the warm white chocolate cream in a slow stream so the eggs temper rather than scramble.
5. Pour the custard evenly over the bread. Press the cubes down with your hands or a spatula until everything is submerged, then cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, pressing down once more halfway through. This soak is what makes the interior custardy instead of bready.
6. Heat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the dish, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, and sprinkle the top with the 2 tbsp turbinado sugar.
7. Set the baking dish inside a larger roasting pan and pour hot tap water into the outer pan to come about 1 inch up the sides. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the pudding is puffed, and a knife inserted in the center comes out with moist custard clinging but no liquid. The center should read 175°F to 180°F on an instant-read thermometer.
8. Carefully lift the dish out of the water bath and let it rest at least 20 minutes. It sets as it cools and is best warm, not oven-hot.
9. While it bakes, macerate the strawberries: toss the berries with 2 tbsp sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl and let stand at room temperature at least 30 minutes, until glossy and sitting in their own syrup.
10. Make the sauce: put the 6 oz chopped white chocolate and a pinch of salt in a heatproof bowl. Bring the 1/2 cup cream just to a simmer, pour it over the chocolate, and wait 2 full minutes without stirring. Whisk from the center outward until glossy and pourable, then stir in the vanilla. If it looks thick, whisk in warm cream 1 tablespoon at a time.
11. Scoop warm pudding into bowls, spoon white chocolate sauce over each portion, and top with strawberries and a little of their syrup.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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