Bread pudding dates back to 11th–12th century England, when resourceful cooks soaked stale bread in boiling water, sugar, and spices to avoid waste—a humble dish that came to be known as "poor man’s pudding". By the 13th century, the addition of eggs and milk transformed it into a richer custard-based bake, leading to the emergence of what became known as bread and butter pudding . The recipe was first published in English-language cookbooks like The Compleat Housewife (1728) and its colonial American editions, cementing its presence in household cooking. As European settlers brought the dish to the Americas, regional variations developed—most notably in Louisiana, where it was revived in the late 19th century with French bread and liquor-infused sauces and later popularized in fine-dining through figures like Paul Prudhomme. Today, bread pudding thrives globally.