Use good white bread for this, and don’t bother to remove the crusts; the different textures make it more interesting.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

　　1/2 pound white bread, cut or torn into chunks no smaller than 1 inch in diameter

　　1 cup milk plus 1 cup cream or a total of 2 cups half-and-half

　　4 eggs

　　3/4 cup maple syrup or sugar

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　Small grating of nutmeg

　　Pinch of salt

　　Whipped cream for serving (optional)

　　

Step 1

Butter a 10- or 12-inch soufflé or baking dish and put the bread in it. Cut the remaining butter into bits and combine it with all the other ingredients; pour over the bread. Submerge the bread with a weighted plate and turn the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

When the oven is hot, remove the plate (scrape any butter back onto the bread) and bake until the pudding is just set but not dry, 45 to 60 minutes. The top will be crusty and brown. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, with or without whipped cream.

　　From Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times by Mark Bittman Copyright (c) 2007 by Mark Bittman Published by Broadway Books.Mark Bittman is the author of the blockbuster Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.