Kirschenmichel (South German cherry bread pudding)
A South German bread pudding built on stale bread rolls soaked fully in sweetened milk and egg, the sour cherries folded in whole rather than pitted and chopped, since whole cherries hold their shape through baking and release their juice slowly into the surrounding bread instead of bleeding it out all at once. Soaking the bread until no dry centre remains is what gives this its characteristic dense, custardy texture rather than a dry, crumbly one.
Prep20 min
Cook40 min
Rest20 min
Servings4
Christoph's Kirschenmichel, the cherries kept whole and folded in so they release their juice slowly rather than all at once.
Ingredients
Written for a 20 × 20 cm dish
Units
Temperature
Servings
Bake
- 350 g stale bread rolls, cut into cubes rounded
- 500 ml milk rounded
- 4 eggs rounded
- 80 g sugar rounded
- 3 g vanilla extract rounded
- 400 g sour cherries, pitted, fresh or drained jarred, kept whole rounded
- 30 g butter, for the dish rounded
- 20 g powdered sugar, for dusting rounded
Dietary labels are a guide, not a guarantee. If you have an allergy, read the ingredients yourself.
Method
- Whisk the milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl.
- Add the bread cubes and toss to coat. Let soak for 15 to 20 minutes, tossing occasionally, until fully softened with no dry centre.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan). Butter a 20x20 cm baking dish.
- Fold the whole pitted cherries gently into the soaked bread, distributing evenly. Transfer to the dish and smooth the top.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custard is fully set and the top is golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Keep the cherries whole rather than chopping them. Whole cherries release their juice slowly into the surrounding bread as they bake; chopped cherries bleed out all at once and can leave patches of the pudding waterlogged.
- Soak the bread until no dry centre remains. This is what gives Kirschenmichel its characteristic dense, custardy texture; a partial soak leaves hard, dry pockets in the finished bake.
- Fold the cherries in gently, without crushing them. Even whole, they’re delicate once ripe, and crushing them defeats the point of keeping them intact.
- It’s best warm from the oven, though leftovers reheat reasonably the next day.
Ingredient substitutions
- Sour cherries are traditional; sweet cherries work too, though reduce the sugar in the custard slightly since sweet cherries need less balancing acidity.
- A pinch of cinnamon in the custard is a common addition.
- Serve with vanilla sauce or whipped cream alongside.
From Christoph Mayer