A successful savoury pudding made with stale bread is not simply a matter of pouring milk over cubes of bread and adding tomatoes. The bread needs to absorb the liquid before baking, while the tomatoes should contribute flavour mainly on the surface—not water in the centre of the dish. The formula below is designed for a small baking dish, four servings and easy-to-find ingredients: bread, eggs, milk, telemea and tomatoes.
The food-waste context is not merely decorative: the latest available Eurostat estimates, for 2023, show that households generated 53% of the measured food waste in the European Union, equivalent to 69 kg per capita. These are European data, not separate statistics for Romania, but they help explain why a recipe that makes use of leftover bread can be useful in everyday cooking. Methodological details are available in the Eurostat report on food waste and its prevention.
Savoury Bread Pudding with Tomatoes and Telemea
- Servings: 4
- Preparation time: 20 minutes
- Baking time: 35–45 minutes
- Oven: 190°C conventional heat, or 170°C fan oven
- Recommended dish: approximately 20 × 20 cm, lightly greased with oil
Ingredients
- 300 g stale bread, 1–3 days old, with no mould, cut into 2 cm cubes
- 3 large eggs
- 250 ml milk
- 120 g telemea, well drained and crumbled
- 250 g ripe but firm tomatoes
- 1 small onion or 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh parsley, optional
Do not add salt before tasting. Telemea varies greatly in saltiness, and the tomatoes and cheese may make the dish salty enough without any additional salt.
The Method That Controls Moisture
- Prepare the tomatoes before the rest of the mixture. Cut them into cubes or slices, remove the very juicy seeded part if the tomatoes are soft, and leave them in a sieve for 10 minutes. Do not salt them: salt would make them release even more liquid.
- Gently brown the onion. Heat the oil in a small frying pan and cook the onion for 3–4 minutes, just until softened. Leave it to cool for a minute. This step adds flavour without introducing raw moisture into the baking dish.
- Make the egg-and-milk mixture. Beat the eggs with the milk, oregano and pepper. Stir in the cooled onion and about two-thirds of the telemea.
- Hydrate the bread in a controlled way. Put the bread cubes in a large bowl, pour over the liquid mixture and stir 2–3 times so that every cube is touched by the liquid. Leave for 10 minutes. Do not aim for a paste-like consistency: the crumb should soften while the cubes retain their shape.
- Assemble in two layers. Transfer the hydrated bread to the dish and level it gently, without pressing it down. Arrange the well-drained tomatoes on top, followed by the remaining telemea. On the surface, water from the tomatoes has room to evaporate; mixed deep into the dish, tomatoes tend to create a wet layer at the bottom.
- Bake until the centre is set. For a 20 × 20 cm dish, bake for 38–45 minutes. The pudding is ready when the edges are lightly browned, the tomatoes look baked, and the centre no longer wobbles with liquid when you move the dish. Leave it for 10 minutes before slicing: the steam redistributes and the slices firm up.
Why the Ratio Works
For 300 g of stale bread, 3 eggs and 250 ml of milk provide enough binding for slices that can be cut, without turning the base into a liquid pudding. However, milk is not the only source of water. Tomatoes, curd cheese, courgette or even certain types of telemea can significantly alter the mixture.
This is why the practical rule is simple: soak the bread in the egg liquid, but place juicy ingredients on top or drain them first. A dish that is too deep lengthens the baking time, while one that is too large can dry out the dish before the eggs set the interior.
White or Wholemeal Bread: Two Useful Adjustments
- Light, airy white bread: start with 225 ml of milk and leave it for only 8 minutes. If many cubes remain dry in the centre after stirring, gradually add the remaining 25 ml.
- Dense wholemeal or seeded bread: use the full 250 ml of milk and leave it for 12–15 minutes. If the bread is very hard and dry, add up to 30 ml more milk; do not pour in all the additional liquid at once.
If the bread has mould, do not try to salvage it by removing the visible area: the USDA recommends throwing away mouldy bread because it is a porous food and contamination can extend beneath the surface. See the agency’s explanation in the USDA FSIS guide to moulds on food.
Substitutions That Won’t Unbalance the Dish
| Desired ingredient | Quantity | What to adjust to avoid excess liquid |
|---|---|---|
| Grated cașcaval cheese | 100–120 g | You can use it in place of telemea without changing the amount of milk. Reserve a little for the crust. |
| Curd cheese | 150 g | Drain it in a sieve for 15–20 minutes. If it is creamy, reduce the milk by 30 ml. |
| Grated courgette | 100–120 g | Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze very well. Replace approximately half the tomatoes with it; do not add it on top of them. |
| Olives | 40–50 g | Drain them, rinse them if they are very salty, and reduce the telemea to 90–100 g. |
| Jarred roasted peppers | 100 g | Drain and pat dry with paper towel. Place them on top with the tomatoes, not in the bread base. |
Two Dishes, Two Baking Times
For the quantity in this recipe, a 20 × 20 cm dish produces a taller pudding and generally needs 38–45 minutes. In a dish measuring approximately 20 × 30 cm, the mixture spreads into a thinner layer and may be ready in 30–35 minutes. These times are indicative, since ovens and dish thickness vary; the decisive sign remains a set centre with no visible liquid.
For more information about tomatoes, see Red Lentils with Tomatoes, Spinach and Lemon – Dinner Ready in 30 Minutes, which includes complementary details on this subject.
If you enjoy savoury dishes that slice neatly and can be packed to take away, the same care with moist ingredients appears in this recipe for savoury vegetable and cheese muffins. For leftover vegetables, an alternative with less bread is this leftover vegetable frittata.
Safe Storage for Leftover Pudding
As a dish containing eggs and dairy, this pudding should not be left on the table “until later”. Portion it once it has cooled slightly, place it in shallow containers and refrigerate it within no more than two hours of baking. USDA FSIS recommends refrigerating cooked leftovers for 3–4 days; when reheating, the centre of the dish should be hot all the way through. The recommendations are explained on the USDA FSIS page on leftovers and food safety.
It reheats best covered for 10–12 minutes at 170°C, then uncovered for a further 3–5 minutes to restore the crust on top. It heats more quickly in a microwave, but the bread will become softer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh bread?
Yes, but the result will be less stable. Cut the bread, spread the cubes on a baking tray and dry them for 8–10 minutes at 150°C before hydrating them.
Why does liquid collect at the bottom of the dish?
The most common causes are very juicy tomatoes added inside the mixture, insufficiently drained cheese, too much milk or a dish that is too deep for the amount of mixture.
Can I prepare the pudding the night before?
You can cut the bread, drain the cheese and prepare the tomatoes separately. It is preferable to combine the bread with the egg and milk just before baking, to avoid an overly soft texture.
