Emilie Meyer
Pan pudding, also known as Japanese milk bread pudding, is a bread-based dessert made with fluffy shokupan, eggs, milk, and sugar. The dish is topped with a caramel sauce, giving it a sweet and luxurious taste. The origin of bread pudding can be traced back to 11th-century England, where it was known as poor man's pudding due to the use of leftover stale bread. Over time, the dish evolved, and by the 13th century, eggs and milk were introduced to the recipe, resulting in what became known as bread and butter pudding. Today, pan pudding has gained popularity, especially after its appearance in the Netflix series Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House. The key to achieving the perfect texture lies in the ratio of bread to custard, ensuring a melt-in-your-mouth experience.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Fluffy Japanese milk bread (shokupan), eggs, milk, sugar, caramel sauce |
| Texture | Similar to purin (Japanese custard dessert), crème caramel, or flan |
| Preparation | Bread is soaked in liquids, mixed with other ingredients, and baked |
| Variations | Colombian bread pudding includes condensed milk, vanilla, and cinnamon; Mexican bread pudding includes raisins and pecans |
| Serving Suggestions | Served warm or cold, can be frozen for up to three months |
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What You'll Learn
- Ingredients: Japanese milk bread, eggs, milk, sugar, and caramel sauce
- Bread preparation: stale bread, cut into cubes, and soaked in custard
- Caramel sauce: boil granulated sugar and water until a medium to dark amber colour
- Baking: bake in a preheated oven until the pudding is golden brown
- Variations: coconut-sweet plantain with rum raisins, or apples, raisins, and rohlíks
Ingredients: Japanese milk bread, eggs, milk, sugar, and caramel sauce
Pan pudding, or Japanese milk bread pudding, is a delicious treat that can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert. The key to achieving the perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture is to use the right bread-to-custard ratio. Here's a step-by-step guide to making this mouthwatering dish using Japanese milk bread, eggs, milk, sugar, and caramel sauce:
Ingredients:
- Japanese milk bread (shokupan): 1 thick slice (approximately 3/4 inch or 2 cm).
- Eggs: 2-3 large eggs.
- Milk: 1 1/2 cups of whole milk (or reduced-fat/non-dairy alternatives).
- Sugar: Adjust to taste, but typically around 5 tablespoons.
- Caramel Sauce: Made by combining sugar and water, then boiling to caramelize.
Method:
Step 1: Prepare the Bread
Start by preparing your Japanese milk bread, also known as shokupan. Ensure your bread slice is thick enough (about 3/4 inch or 2 cm) to absorb the custard mixture effectively. If you can't find pre-sliced shokupan, consider making your own or purchasing a square loaf pre-cut into thick slices.
Step 2: Make the Custard Mixture
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. You can also add a shot of rum or vanilla extract for extra flavour. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate container until it is warm. Gradually pour the warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking continuously to prevent the eggs from cooking. You can also strain the mixture to ensure a smooth consistency.
Step 3: Combine Bread and Custard
Place the bread slice in a baking dish or container. Pour the custard mixture over the bread, gently pushing down with a fork to ensure the bread absorbs the custard evenly. The bread should be completely covered and soaked in the custard.
Step 4: Create the Caramel Sauce
To make the caramel sauce, combine granulated sugar with a small amount of water in a saucepan. Boil this mixture until it caramelizes and achieves a medium to dark amber colour. This process gives the sugar syrup its distinctive caramel colour and flavour.
Step 5: Assemble and Serve
Once your caramel sauce is ready, drizzle it over the custard-soaked bread. You can serve the pudding immediately or chill it in the fridge for a more set texture. Enjoy your delicious Japanese milk bread pudding, perfect for a sweet breakfast or indulgent dessert!
Feel free to adjust the quantities and cooking times to suit your taste and serving size preferences. You can also experiment with additional ingredients, such as raisins, cinnamon, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
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Bread preparation: stale bread, cut into cubes, and soaked in custard
Bread pudding is a traditional English dessert that originated in the 11th or 13th century. It was known as "poor man's pudding" because it was affordable and used stale bread, which would otherwise be wasted.
For the bread preparation, you will need stale bread, cut into cubes. The amount of bread required may vary depending on the recipe, but typically, you will need around 4-6 slices or cups of bread cubes. You can use any type of stale bread you have on hand, such as French bread, buns, rolls, donuts, challah, brioche, or even leftover slices of toast.
Once you have your stale bread cubes, you will need to soak them in a custard mixture. The custard is typically made with eggs, milk, sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. Some recipes also include spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice. You can whisk these ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until they are fully combined and well-mixed.
Place your bread cubes into a baking dish. You can use a 9x13-inch baking dish or an 8-inch square baking dish, depending on the amount of bread you have. Spread the bread cubes into an even layer in the dish.
Finally, pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes, making sure that all the bread is coated. Let the bread pudding soak for about 15 minutes to an hour while your oven preheats. This will allow the bread to absorb the custard mixture, resulting in a softer and more flavourful pudding.
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Caramel sauce: boil granulated sugar and water until a medium to dark amber colour
To make the caramel sauce for a pan pudding, begin by mixing granulated sugar with a small amount of water in a heavy-bottomed, light-coloured saucepan. The purpose of using a light-coloured saucepan is to observe the progress of the caramel sauce. It is important to avoid using a pot with a non-stick coating as it will be exposed to medium-high heat. The mixture should be boiled until the sugar syrup caramelises and achieves a medium to dark amber colour. Do not use a utensil to mix the solution, as this will cause the sugar to crystallise. Instead, simply swirl the saucepan to mix the contents. It is important to keep an eye on the caramelisation process at all times and to stop the process once the desired colour is achieved, as the caramel will continue to darken in colour, become bitter, and may even burn otherwise.
The caramel sauce can then be poured into a baking dish, followed by the pudding mix, to make the pan pudding. The baking dish is then placed in a bain-marie and then in the oven. The bread used in the pudding mix should ideally be slightly stale, as this is better suited for the rich custard. The bread should be cut into cubes or slices of a thickness of 2 cm (3/4 inch) to allow the bread to absorb the custard mixture effectively. The bread-to-custard ratio is important to achieve the desired melt-in-your-mouth texture.
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Baking: bake in a preheated oven until the pudding is golden brown
The final step in making pan pudding is baking the mixture in a preheated oven until the pudding turns golden brown. This is a critical step in achieving the right texture and consistency for the pudding.
Before baking, the bread should be prepared by soaking it in the custard mixture. The bread should be allowed to absorb the custard for the best results. The type of bread used is also important; a slightly stale, fluffy loaf with a thick slice is recommended. Japanese milk bread, or Shokupan, is a popular choice for pan pudding as it creates a soft and fluffy texture.
Once the bread is prepared and the oven is preheated, the pudding mixture can be transferred to a baking pan. The baking pan should be large enough to accommodate the pudding mixture without overflowing. Using a foil pan is recommended if you plan to freeze the pudding for future consumption.
During baking, the pudding should be monitored to ensure it reaches the desired golden brown colour. Baking time may vary depending on oven temperature and the specific recipe used. For example, a Colombian recipe for bread pudding recommends baking at 350° F for about an hour, while a Puerto Rican recipe suggests baking in a water bath for approximately one and a half hours.
Once the pudding is golden brown, it should be removed from the oven and allowed to cool. Some recipes suggest refrigerating the pudding for a few hours or even overnight before serving, as this can enhance the flavour and texture.
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Variations: coconut-sweet plantain with rum raisins, or apples, raisins, and rohlíks
Coconut-sweet plantain with rum raisins pudding is a variation of the traditional bread pudding. To make this version, you'll need to mix flour, nuts, raisins, and nutmeg. Combine milk, vanilla, and rum in a separate bowl. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the plantains, gently folding until just combined. Add one-third of the milk mixture, again gently folding. Repeat these steps, alternating between the flour and milk mixtures, until everything is evenly combined. Pour the batter into a greased baking dish and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes, or until the pudding is golden brown.
Alternatively, you can make a delicious side dish of sauteed plantains in a coconut rum sauce. Simply place sliced plantains and rum in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and butter, and saute until the plantains soften, which should take about 5 minutes.
Now, for a different variation: apple rum raisin bread pudding. This version features tart apples, rum-soaked raisins, and a vanilla-cinnamon custard baked into soft challah bread. To make it, you'll need to preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place the raisins and rum in a shallow bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla until evenly combined. Add challah bread cubes, sliced apples, and the raisin-rum mixture, stirring to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, ensuring the apples and raisins are evenly distributed. Let it stand for at least an hour, or refrigerate it overnight. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden and puffy, and the centre is set. Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Finally, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, there is a variation called "žemľovka", made with apples, raisins, and rohlíks (soft bread rolls) or veka (a type of crusty white bread roll). The bread is soaked in sweet milk with whipped egg whites on top.
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Frequently asked questions
Pan pudding, or Japanese milk bread pudding, is a bread-based dessert made with fluffy Japanese milk bread called Shokupan, eggs, milk, and sugar. It is topped with a caramel sauce and has a texture similar to crème caramel or flan.
The key ingredients in Pan Pudding are Shokupan (Japanese milk bread), eggs, milk, and sugar. The bread is soaked in the custard mixture, which consists of milk, eggs, and sugar, and then baked.
To make Pan Pudding, start by slicing the Shokupan bread into 2 cm thick slices. Prepare the custard mixture by whisking together milk, eggs, and sugar. Soak the bread slices in the custard mixture for about 20 minutes. Then, bake the soaked bread in a preheated oven until it is golden brown. Finally, top the pudding with a caramel sauce made by boiling granulated sugar and water until it reaches a medium to dark amber color.
Pan Pudding can be made with various types of bread, such as stale sourdough, Italian bread, or even leftover hamburger buns. Different countries have their own versions of bread pudding, such as "Budín de Pan" in Latin America, "Capirotada" in Mexico, and "Wet Nelly" in Liverpool, United Kingdom. Bread pudding can also be made savory or sweet, with sweet versions including sugar, syrup, honey, dried fruit, and spices.
