Scheiterhaufen (Log Pyre)

A humble Austrian bread pudding whose name translates literally as ‘log pile’ for the way sliced rolls stack in the dish like firewood. Day-old dinner rolls or white bread get soaked briefly in a cinnamon-scented milk-and-egg custard, then layered in a buttered baking dish with plump raisins and sultanas scattered between each row.

This is thrifty Austrian home cooking at its most economical. The kind of dessert a Viennese grandmother made when the week’s rolls had gone stale and someone wanted something sweet. Foil on top during baking keeps the custard from drying out, and the interior ends up like soft baked French toast.

Serve warm with vanilla sauce, a dusting of powdered sugar, or stewed fruit on top. In German and Austrian homes it’s often served as a meatless Friday fasting meal, or as a simple weeknight dessert.

Kitchen Tips

• Use slightly stale rolls, not fresh. Fresh bread absorbs too much custard and turns to mush.
• Soak each slice briefly, not fully. Dip and pull; the custard should finish soaking in during baking, not before.
• Dot the top generously with butter. This is what creates the golden, slightly crisp surface under the foil.
• Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes if you want a browner top. Otherwise leave it on for a softer, pudding-like texture.

Variations

• Swap some of the raisins for chopped dried apricots or dried sour cherries for a more aromatic version.
• Stir a tablespoon of rum or brandy into the custard for a grown-up version.
• Layer in sliced apples for a traditional Bavarian apple-scheiterhaufen variant.