Challah Bread Pudding (Jewish)

This bread pudding recipe is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. This is one of my friend's family's favourite recipe and perfect served with a big scoop of ice cream.

1 loaf day-old challah bread, cubed into 1" pieces
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
4 cups whole milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Spray a 9x13” baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Place the cubed challah bread into the prepared baking dish and spread it around into an even layer. Set aside.

In a very large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon until fully combined. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread in the prepared baking pan, making sure all of the bread is coated. Allow to sit and soak up the mixture for about 15 minutes.

Once the 15 minutes is over, place the bread pudding in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is set.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Cook's Notes:  I typically use a 20 oz loaf of challah bread for this recipe. If you have a fresh loaf of challah bread, you can cube it into 1" pieces, place them on a baking sheet, and bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the bread is dried out.