Bread and Butter Pudding From Greg Atkinson With the resurgence of artisanal bread baking during the last years of the twentieth century came the return of stale bread. Factory-made breads have additives that keep them soft longer, but traditionally made breads grow hard pretty quickly; hence the need for recipes like this one that render day-old bread delectable. Bread pudding is comfort food at its best. This version, with a crackly coat of cinnamon and sugar on top, is reminiscent of cinnamon toast. Makes 8 servings ½ cup (1 stick) organic unsalted butter 6 cups cubed day-old white bread or rolls (1-inch cubes) 4 organic eggs 1 cup brown sugar 1½ cups organic milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, then take it off the heat and let it cool down a little. Put the melted butter in an 8-inch square baking dish and pile in the bread cubes. Toss the cubes in the butter to lightly coat them. 2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the milk and vanilla, and pour the mixture over the buttered bread cubes. Press the bread with the back of a spoon to encourage absorption of the egg mixture; the bread should be barely covered. 3. Stir the granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture over the pudding. Bake until the pudding is set, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or cold. See also Greg's IslandWood Cinnamon Rolls Greg Atkinson is author of West Coast Cooking, and The Northwest Essentials Cookbook, and lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Image Credit: © Aida Ricciardiello | Dreamstime.com