Baked Barley Pudding -- The Daily Bread of Women Who Hold Things Together

The bakery hums at its steady rhythm — conchas in both cities, the daily bread of the promise. Sofia manages the business. I manage the dough. Lupita manages Anapra. The triangle of women who hold the bakery together, the way three legs hold a table, and the table is Rosa's, and the table stands.

There is something about working with grain — about the patience it asks of you, the way it swells slowly and gives itself over to heat — that reminds me of the bakery, of Sofia, of Lupita, of the table that still stands. When I am not shaping concha dough, I find myself drawn to recipes that ask the same quiet endurance. This baked barley pudding is one of those. It doesn’t rush. It doesn’t demand. It just does what it was made to do, and it feeds you.

Baked Barley Pudding

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup pearl barley, rinsed
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
2. Combine the base. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Add the eggs. Slowly whisk the beaten eggs into the milk mixture, a little at a time, to temper them and prevent scrambling.
4. Assemble the pudding. Spread the rinsed barley evenly in the prepared baking dish. Pour the milk and egg mixture over the barley. Dot the top with the small pieces of butter and dust with a pinch of nutmeg.
5. Bake low and slow. Place the dish in the oven and bake uncovered for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring gently every 25 minutes during the first half of cooking to prevent the barley from settling unevenly. The pudding is done when the barley is tender and the custard is set but still has a slight wobble at the center.
6. Rest before serving. Remove from the oven and let the pudding rest for 10 minutes. It will continue to set as it cools. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 145mg