I used sourdough but won't again, I liked the chew of the crumb, but didn't care for the sourness in this capacity. I cut my bread pieces smaller and soaked them in the custard the night before, layering in the pecans. I put a splash of Cointreau in the custard and will continue to do so. I was going to use an 8X8 square pan, but it didn't look like the mixture would fit so I used a 9x9. In retrospect, an 8x8 probably would have worked. I think I'll increase the topping next time. I cut up the leftovers and froze them in individual portions.