Om ali – Egyptian bread puddingfeatured

Om ali- Egypt’s sweet and creamy bread pudding is studded with nuts, coconut, and raisins if you wish, then topped with whipped cream and broiled to a golden perfection and served hot.

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What is om ali?

Translating literally to mother of Ali, Om ali is a peculiarly-named decadent Egyptian bread pudding.

Unlike other bread pudding renditions, om ali contains no eggs. It is simply a flaky bread base, saturated with a sweet and creamy milk mix.

The flaky bread is dotted with add-ins that add flavor and texture to every bite- nuts, coconut, raisins, and chopped dried fruit adorn this dessert inside and out.

It is topped with a thick cream topping and broiled to golden brown perfection.

Main ingredients

Bread

Traditionally om ali is made using a thin, crips Egyptian bread called roqaq. Common substitutes for roqaq in om ali include croissants, phyllo dough, and my choice- puff pastry.

Puff pastry is a laminated dough sold frozen in sheets. You can find it in the freezer section of most grocery stores. The best tasting puff pastry is made with all butter and does not contain oils. Check the ingredients and look for one made with butter. I always use Dufour Puff Pastry.

Milk

For the milk mixture that will bathe you buttery puffed stuff, opt for whole milk. To three cups of that, I add 1/4 cup of heavy cream to bump up the richness just a touch.

I don’t recommend using low fat milk, which might make the dish too watery, but if that’s all you have available add a higher proportion of heavy cream to thicken it up.

I have never made this dish using non-dairy milk, but if you give it a try, please let me know how it goes in the comments!

Sweetener

Traditionally, the milk in om ali is sweetened with white granulated sugar. But here I use sweetened condensed milk because, well, have you tasted the stuff? Rich, thick, and delicious. It contributes both sweetness and body to the milk mixture.

Sweetened condensed milk is usually sold in 14oz cans here in the US, and sometimes can be found in squeeze bottles. Make sure to not confuse condensed milk with evaporated milk. Condensed milk is what you want here for its thickness and sweetness.

If you don’t have sweetened condensed milk on hand, you can sweeten your milk with granulated sugar or any other sweetener of choice. Just taste as you go and adjust the amount to your liking.

Mix-ins and toppings

Like all good Egyptian desserts, om ali is all about the toppings.

Adorn Ali’s mom in nuts, coconut flakes, raisins and dried fruits- or not- depending on your preference.

You can mix chopped nuts such as pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts into the om ali before baking. Add to that some dried coconut- either shredded, flakes or desiccated- and some golden raisins or chopped dates.

Or- keep them out and serve them on the side so everyone can choose their own topping.

Whipped cream topping

The last component of your om ali is the whipped topping.

This recipe includes a simple homemade whipped cream, that is smothered over the top of the pastry. It will melt in between the pastry chunks, and caramelize on top for a beautiful finish.

If you’d rather not make your own whipped cream, you can use store bought. Or, try a canned option like this Puck cream (affiliate link).

In a pinch, this om ali can also be made without any whipped topping.

How to make om ali

Ok, you’ve got all your goods. Let’s make some om ali.

You’ve got three jobs to do before you can assemble and bake your om ali:

• baking your puff pastry
• making the milk mixture
• whipping your cream topping

Start by baking your puff pastry dough according to the box instructions.

Cut your pastry sheet into 6-8 pieces and pierce each piece a few times with a fork or knife. This helps the dough to release hot air as it expands.

Bake until golden brown, and cooked through fully. You want to make sure its nice and crisp on the outside as this will add texture to the om ali.

If using croissants or another type of flaky bread, toast is briefly to get a similar crispy texture.

While you are waiting for your pastry to cool down, make your milk mixture by heating up milk, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and cardamom in a small pot on the stove.

Make sure the heat is high enough to get the milk hot, without letting it scorch on the bottom. Stir occasionally to make sure that thick condensed milk incorporates fully.

During this time you can also make your whipped cream topping by hand-whipping your heavy cream to medium peaks, or doing the same in the bowl of a stand mixer.

All together now

Now that your main components are all prepped, you are ready to assemble.

Cut your pastry into small pieces. You’ll have some chunks of pastry, and some flakes that break off. Include it all, as it all contributes to the mix of crispy outside, and creamy inside.

Spread the pastry pieces out in your baking pan, and scatter any nuts, coconut and raisins that your heart desires overtop. Mix them around so they are evenly distributed.

Next, pour the hot milk over top. Allow it to sit for about ten minutes so the pastry can absorb the milk.

You don’t want all the pastry to be fully immersed. Having some pieces soaked in milk and others peaking out helps give you the mix of textures you are looking for.

Take the whipped cream topping that you made and dollop it all over the top of the om ali.

Spread to cover.

Back to the oven

Now you’re ready to return your om ali to the middle rack of your preheated oven.

Bake for 15 minutes, then, switch the oven to the broiler setting. Keep the om ali on the middle rack and watch it closely. Broil until its bubbling and a deep golden brown color on top- about 2-4 minutes.

Let sit 10 minutes.

Serving om ali

It’s time to dig in!

Scatter any toppings you would like over the om ali.

Using a large spoon, scoop some out and serve in bowls or on dessert plates.

Don’t forget the toppings on the side!

Bel hana wel shifa! Enjoy!