Should You Cover Bread Pudding While Baking?

There are many ways to upgrade your bread pudding — but none of that really matters if you don't cook it the right way. So if you're wondering if you should cover bread pudding while it's baking in the oven, you must know the answer before you waste your time and disappoint your sweet tooth. The answer isn't as clear as you might expect, but there are reasons as to why you should cover the dessert for at least part of the baking period, according to some recipes.

The answer is somewhere between yes and no, because bread pudding should be moist on the inside with a nice crust on the top. To pull it off, you'll want to prevent the bread pudding from burning on top and drying out in the middle. The directions vary by recipe, but a general consensus is that you cook it uncovered — at the right temperature, around 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For recipes that require a different temperature or technique, you should only cook it covered for part of the cooking time.

If your recipe requires the bread pudding to be baked covered, it's essential to do it right so you still get the right texture on the top and in the middle of the dessert. For this technique, cover it with aluminum foil, but then uncover it for the final few minutes so that you can get the crunchy top before it comes out of the oven. Covering bread pudding can also keep it moist while it's cooking, but again, it's not necessary if the recipe doesn't call for it — and is followed correctly.

Later on, it is certainly important to cover leftover bread pudding when storing it so that it doesn't dry out in the fridge. You can cover it tightly with aluminum foil or transfer it to an airtight glass or plastic container for three to four days.

Ready to make some bread pudding? Try our classic bread pudding recipe that doesn't require you to cover it in the oven by default. Another option to step it up is to make our cherry pecan bread pudding or five-ingredient chocolate chip bread pudding recipes to try out these tips.