Egyptian Umm Ali Bread Pudding
Umm Ali Bread Pudding
A warm Egyptian pastry pudding baked with sweet milk, cream, golden nuts, raisins, and crisp pastry edges.
Umm Ali is Egypt's beloved warm pastry pudding, made by soaking crisp baked pastry in sweet milk and cream, then finishing it in the oven until the top is golden and the edges bubble. It has the comfort of bread pudding, but the flaky pastry gives it lighter layers and a toasted, buttery finish.
This version uses puff pastry for an accessible home-kitchen approach while keeping the classic mix of milk, cream, nuts, raisins, and coconut. The pastry is baked first so it keeps some texture after soaking, and the milk is warmed with sugar and vanilla so it absorbs evenly without turning heavy.
Serve Umm Ali warm, spooned into bowls while the cream is still soft and the nuts are fragrant. It is rich enough for a celebration dessert, but simple enough to make when you want a cozy pudding from pantry ingredients.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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2
Unfold the puff pastry on the baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until deeply puffed and golden. Let it cool until easy to handle.
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3
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and grease a 2-quart baking dish with the butter.
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4
Tear the baked puff pastry into large bite-size pieces and spread them loosely in the prepared baking dish.
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5
Scatter the pistachios, almonds, raisins, and coconut over the pastry, reserving a small handful of nuts for the top.
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6
Warm the milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the milk is steaming but not boiling.
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7
Pour the hot milk mixture evenly over the pastry and let it stand for 5 minutes so the pieces soften while some edges remain exposed.
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8
Spoon the heavy cream over the top, sprinkle with the reserved nuts, and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until bubbling around the sides and lightly browned on top.
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9
Rest for 8 to 10 minutes before serving warm, with extra cream if desired.
Ingredients
- frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed:1 sheet
- whole milk:3 cups
- heavy cream:1 cup
- granulated sugar:1/2 cup
- vanilla extract:1 tsp
- ground cinnamon:1/2 tsp
- chopped pistachios:1/3 cup
- chopped almonds:1/3 cup
- golden raisins:1/3 cup
- unsweetened shredded coconut:1/4 cup
- unsalted butter for greasing the dish:1 tbsp
- fine salt:1 pinch
Tips & Notes
- Bake the pastry until it is well browned before soaking; pale pastry turns soft too quickly.
- Use a shallow baking dish if you prefer more toasted edges and a deeper dish for a softer pudding.
- Swap hazelnuts or walnuts for either nut, keeping the total amount about the same.
