About the Recipe
Budino di Pane is a traditional Italian dessert found in regional variations across Italy, including Tuscany and Lazio. It originated in home kitchens as a way to use stale bread. It is made by soaking stale bread in milk, then mixing it with eggs, sugar, raisins, pine nuts, and flavorings such as cinnamon, vanilla, or citrus zest, before baking in a water bath until set. It is served as a frugal, sweet dessert (dolce), often at the end of a family meal.
Ingredients
5 cups 1-inch pieces stale sweet bread, such as Panettone
1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine
4 cups milk
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
4 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325ºF. Butter a 9 by 12-inch baking dish.
Step 2
Put the bread in a large bowl, add the Marsala wine, and toss until the bread is evenly moistened. Set aside. Bring the milk and cream to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon and orange zests. Set aside.
Step 3
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks until light and fluffy; whisk in the cream mixture. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add the sugar. Fold into the bread mixture. Set aside to soak, at least one hour.
Step 4
Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Place the dish in a large baking pan and carefully add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake the pudding until a knife inserted in the custard comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve the bread pudding warm.