The solution: After making many recipes and ordering many bread puddings from the dessert listings of many restaurant menus, we finally happened upon a variety that we could get excited about. The bread pudding served at one restaurant could be described thus: a golden brown top made up of crispy pieces of bread with great chew, and a not-too-sweet pudding/custard, with some of the bread having been soaked and dissolved in the filling. Back in the test kitchen, we went about reconstructing it.
First, the bread: Among other types, we tried rustic Italian, challah, and potato bread. The winner was a dense white bread purchased at a local bakery; it held up well enough during cooking without being overly chewy and heavy, which was the problem with some of the rustic loaves we tried.
Next, the crispy crust: Reserving two cups of bread cubes to be put on top of the pudding just before baking was just the thing. We brushed these cubes with butter, and, to better distinguish the "crust" from the "filling" of the bread pudding, we sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar.
The custard: In pursuit of a rich and silky filling rather than a thin, eggy one, we eventually hit on the best ratio of milk to cream to eggs. Also wanting to avoid an overly sweet filling, we kept the sugar down to 3/4 cup.
The finish: Baking at a low oven temperature of 325 degrees proved best. Figuring out when to take it out of the oven proved a little more difficult. After two score or more of tests, we determined that the bread budding should wobble like a Jell-O mold when removed from the oven--it will continue to cook after removal. Another tip is to remove the pudding from the oven just as it begins to inflate and rise up high in the pan. A knife inserted into the custard should not come out clean but be partially coated with half-set custard.

For good measure: If you're depending on supermarket bread, a reasonable substitute for bakery-style white bread we favor is Pepperidge Farm Hearty White.

RICH BREAD PUDDING WITH CRISP CINNAMON-SUGAR TOPPING

Serves 8 to 10

A firm white American-style bakery loaf bread gives the best texture to this pudding. In a pinch, however, use Pepperidge Farm Hearty White Bread. Avoid chewy, crusty European-style breads because they do not soften properly in the custard. For an extra-creamy bread pudding with a sauce beneath a crisp top layer, remove about 1 cup of soaked bread and 1 cup of soaking liquid to a food processor or blender and puree them until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add the puree back to the rest of the mixture and stir to combine before transferring it to the baking dish. If desired, serve this pudding with softly whipped cream.

Cinnamon Sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Bread Pudding
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons bourbon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces (about 1/2 loaf) good quality American-style white bread, sliced 3/8-inch thick and cut into 1 1/2-inch square pieces (about 8 cups)
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing pan

1. For the cinnamon sugar: Mix sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; set aside.

2. For the pudding: Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

3. Whisk eggs, yolk, and sugar in a large bowl to blend well. Whisk in milk, cream, bourbon, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in 6 cups prepared bread; mix thoroughly to moisten. Let stand 20 minutes.

4. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Scatter remaining 2 cups bread pieces on top, pushing down gently to partially submerge. Brush exposed bread with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until pudding is deep golden brown, is beginning to rise up sides of baking dish, and jiggles very slightly at the center when shaken, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool until set but still warm, about 45 minutes. Serve.

RICH BREAD PUDDING WITH RAISINS AND WALNUTS

Follow recipe for Rich Bread Pudding, increasing bourbon to 1/3 cup. Soak 3/4 cup raisins in bourbon until moistened and plumped, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir plumped raisins, any remaining bourbon, and 1 cup chopped walnuts into soaked bread mixture before transferring to baking dish.