A LOAF of bread can serve more than one purpose. Aside from sandwiches, it can also be turned into tasty pudding. Here?s a pudding recipe that uses a Pullman loaf to great advantage. The loaf does not have to be freshly bought. Even if it?s two to three days old, you can still use it for this recipe-as long as it doesn?t have any mold in it.

Bread Pudding

1 large Pullman loaf (sandwich bread)
5 ? c fresh milk, divided
1 c butter, slightly softened
2 c sugar
6 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c raisins
? tsp freshly-grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350?F. Grease two 9 in. x 13 in. baking pans.

Tear the bread into medium-size chunks (include the crust). Soak bread chunks in 3 ? cups of milk until softened, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat butter in an electric mixer until creamy. Add sugar and continue beating until fluffy.

Pour in remaining 2 cups milk then beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla extract, raisins and nutmeg. Fold the butter mixture into the soaked bread.

Spoon into prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake for 35 minutes or until firm. Let cool slightly before serving.

Tips

A Pullman loaf is the type of bread used to make sandwiches. For this recipe, use a large loaf that has about 24-26 pieces of bread.

After you have poured the milk into the butter mixture, the mixture will look curdled but that?s okay.

In fact, after you have combined the butter mixture with the soaked bread, the whole thing will look very fluid and weird. However, once it?s put in the oven, it will start to solidify and firm up.

To pack as baon, slice into bars and wrap in aluminum foil.

Makes a tasty dessert or snack.