Savory Bread Pudding
Stale Focaccia? Make a Savory Pudding
I went to a local market to buy the fresh daily bread, which was a Rosemary French bread. While I was there, I picked up a sun-dried tomato focaccia. Oh gracious, it sure looked good, but disappointment would set in soon after cutting two slices for tasting. It was stale!
An Italian cook, I am not, but also Not wanting to throw this beautiful bread away, I decided to make a savory bread pudding. It was so good. The inside was nice and moist and the top was golden and crispy. But, it needed something. A tomato sauce with cream was the ticket, and as easy as opening a can of tomatoes. Here's hoping you enjoy this savory bread anew, as much as I did. The recipe is below.
I cut the bread into small wedges, and fitted the wedges into an 8 1/2 x 12 x 2 inch oval dish.
I poured half the custard in, and then put half the cheese over the custard. Now, pour the remaining custard in and top with the other half of the cheese.
Sun-dried Tomato Focaccia Bread Pudding with Tomato Cream Sauce
1 sun-dried tomato focaccia
3 eggs
2 cups milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Herbes of Provence
1 cup Romano cheese, divided
In a bowl, beat the eggs, mix in the remaining ingredients except the cheese.
Arrange the bread wedges (shown above) in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in half of the egg mixture. Sprinkle half of the cheese down between the bread wedges. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread. Then add the remaining cheese on top of the bread. The egg mixture will not come all the way up. Cover with plastic wrap. Take your hand and press the bread down softly. This will help the bread absorb some of the liquid. Refrigerate for 4 hours or more.
When ready to bake, cover with foil. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes covered, then continue baking until the custard has set, but it is still creamy in the bread (see photo below). (The baking time will vary depending on the oven and the baking dish. I use convection. So, you may want to check this after 25 minutes or even before, to see if the custard has set.) Serve with Tomato Cream Sauce.
The inside is creamy and the outside is crispy.
Serve with Tomato Cream Sauce.
Tomato Cream Sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
dash of garlic salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Puree the tomatoes and add to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Add the garlic salt, sugar, heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes to meld flavors. Taste for seasoning, and add salt, pepper and additional sugar, to taste. Serve over the bread pudding.
