This seems like a lot of milk to me

I have made the Bittman recipe as written and yeah, it works! Seems crazy but it thickens and evaporates and it's AWESOME! Make sure to stir now and again.

Now I want some.
ps - some coconut milk in there is good too

I do not have a recipe and have never made rice puddding but it was a staple of my Mom, always made only in the oven and no eggs. I remember being amazed as she would use maybe a couple of tablespoons of rice for a family size dessert. She probalby was using a quart of milk but that is a guess.

Really interesting learning about oven only rice pudding. I would never have thought that much liquid to rice. Glad to learn something new.

I discovered that I only had 1 cup of milk in the fridge. So instead of using 1/16th cup of rice, I decided for my family's leftover rice pudding recipe. pre-cooked rice, handful of raisins, few drops maple syrup (because milk is really sweet to us) milk to almost cover, stir, bake till milk is absorbed. Not as delicious as oven only, but I got a good deal more pudding for my milk.

Next time I have a full liter of milk in the house, I hope to try the oven only method. I think one with eggs might be what I'm looking for.

Thanks everyone.

Its correct. Low and slow in the oven, and rice is very absorbent. When eating as a vegetable/grain component of a meal, you want some mouth feel. Not so for pudding-rice can absorb alot more liquid than we are used to with our daily cooking.

Trampled - I agree. Katzen's recipe in Moosewood (a standby) uses 3 to 3.5 cup milk for 1c brown rice. It's not oven-only, but very tasty, reliable, probably adaptable to oven. see Http://www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/recipe.php?Recipe=rice_pudding

Here is one from Susan Hermann-Loomis's French Farmhouse cookbook I made when my daughter was in French class. Its very good

3/4 cup short grain rice, rinsed
3/4 cup plus 2 T sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
8 cups cold whole milk

Preaheaat oven to 375, Place the rice in a large earthenware bowl. Add the sugar and sprinkle the salt and cinnamon over all. Pour in the cold milkand place the bowl in the center or the oven. Cook for 1 1/2 hours turn the temp to 215 and cook for 2 more hours. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

It is creamy and not too sweet. She says the earthenware bowl is important don't use glass or enamel. She also recommends raw milk if available.

Hang tight. I have my Yia Yia's best friends recipe. Just need to dig it out. I remember loving it. Some of the comments under Mark's recipe didn't love it, some did. Back in a flash.