Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8-inch baking dish with butter. Spread the cubed bread evenly across the bottom of the dish. I like to toss mine with a little melted butter first — it helps everything brown more evenly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup whole milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg until smooth. Pour this custard mixture slowly over the bread cubes.

Let the bread soak for about 5 minutes so it absorbs the liquid, then press down gently with a spoon. Don't squeeze too hard — you want the bread to stay somewhat structured for the perfect summer berry bread pudding cozy texture.

Scatter 1 cup mixed fresh berries across the top, then drizzle with 2 tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and 1 tbsp orange zest evenly over everything.

Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes until the top turns golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. The center should jiggle just a tiny bit — don't overbake or it gets rubbery. Mine always takes 43 minutes, so set your timer and check at the 40-minute mark.

Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving. This resting time helps it set up so each serving holds together nicely instead of falling apart on the plate.