Sunday Forward — Mexican & Latin · Week 2
Tres Leches Bread Pudding
Three-milk soak · make-ahead dessert · cinnamon cream finish
DessertMake-AheadSlow (30+ min)
9
Servings
30 min
Brioche Soak
~1 hr
Bake
4+ hr
Chill
Custard
Eggs
Large Eggs
Whole eggs
3 large
Yolks
Egg Yolks
Extra richness; adds to the custard base
5 large
Cream
Heavy Cream
1 cup
Milk
Whole Milk
1 cup
Condensed
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Reserve remaining in can for serving drizzle
1 cup
Evaporated
Evaporated Milk
Full 12 oz can
1 can
Flavor
Vanilla Extract
2 tsp
Salt
Kosher Salt
½ tsp
Bread
Bread
Brioche
Sliced ¼-inch thick; day-old or oven-dried is ideal
12 oz
To Serve
Drizzle
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Remaining from the can used in the custard
remaining
Cream
Whipped Cream
to taste
Finish
Ground Cinnamon
A generous sprinkling
to taste
Chocolate
Dark Chocolate
Grated over the top
to taste
Finish
Coarse Salt
A pinch to finish
a pinch
Method
0 of 8 steps complete — click a step to check it off
1Dry
Optional: Dry the Brioche
Preheat oven to 275°F. Place brioche slices on a rack set over a baking sheet and dry for 12 to 15 minutes. The bread should not toast or go crispy — if you bend a piece, there should still be some give before it breaks. Remove from oven and cool.
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2Prep
Preheat and Grease the Pan
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan generously with butter or cooking spray.
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3Custard
Make the Custard
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks until thoroughly combined. Add the heavy cream, whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
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4Soak
Tear, Add, and Soak the Brioche
Tear brioche into rough chunks and add to the custard bowl. Stir and press on the bread to break it down. For an ultra-smooth texture, use a potato masher to fully break it apart. Let sit 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fully saturated.
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5Setup
Set Up the Water Bath
Pour the custard-soaked brioche into the prepared baking pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and set the pan inside a roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan.
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6Bake
First Bake: Covered, ~25 Min
Bake at 350°F until almost completely set, about 25 minutes. There should still be some jiggle in the center and the pudding will look wet — that's correct. Don't overbake at this stage.
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7Finish
Second Bake: Uncovered, 30–40 Min
Remove the foil and continue baking until the pudding is fully set and the top is deep golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. If you have a convection oven, switch to convection at 325°F at this point to speed the browning.
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8Serve
Cool, Chill, and Plate
Remove from oven and cool in the water bath 20 minutes. Serve warm now, or cool to room temp and refrigerate at least 4 hours for the creamiest texture. Reheat gently before serving, or enjoy cold. Plate with a drizzle of the remaining condensed milk, whipped cream, cinnamon, grated dark chocolate, and a pinch of coarse salt.
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Make it the Day Before
Overnight is dramatically better than same-day. After chilling, the custard sets into something impossibly creamy. Make it the day before, refrigerate, and pull it out an hour before serving.
Why the Water Bath
The water bath keeps the heat gentle and even, preventing the edges from overcooking before the center is set. This method keeps the pudding uniform, preventing the edges from becoming rubbery or from the center becoming mushy.
Rustic versus Refined
Depending on personal tastes, the bread pudding can be mashed less, with more bread left “chunked” for a traditional bread pudding, or can be made into a near flawlessly smooth pudding with bread-like texture by mashing more. It is purely a matter of preference.