Bread and Butter Pudding
Rain, rain and more rain. The house is surrounded by fog and drizzle, the fire is roaring happily away and I’m wrapped up warm with a big pot of tea. ’Tis the season for comfort food in my house, long-simmered stews and casseroles, roasts, and puddings for afters.
This is the sort of food that the British really excel at, so when I fancy a warming, comforting dessert, I always turn to that ultimate British nursery food: Bread and Butter Pudding.
This is food from my great grandparent’s generation and beyond. A frugal set of common household ingredients, magically transformed by a little sugar and heat into a warming and delicious sweet treat.
To be fair, the idea of stale bread soaked in a bit of egg and milk and then baked doesn’t sound very promising, but this dish is a tried and true classic for a reason. If you are a fan of French Toast or Poor Knights, then you’ll definitely like Bread and Butter Pudding.
Traditionally, Bread and Butter Pudding is made with stale, sliced white bread. As I very seldomly buy sliced white bread, I tend to make this with a soft white loaf or brioche cut into pieces instead. Gently spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and lifted with a hint of citrus, this is proper comfort food, ideal for cooler weather.
You can use whatever light white bread you like to make this, or even go the full Gordon Ramsay and make it out of pain au chocolat. If you are using sliced white bread, it’s traditional to remove the crusts, slice the bread into triangles and butter the slices before laying them in the baking dish with the points facing up like little sails. If you are using this method, you can omit the melted butter from the recipe.
What’s your childhood comfort food? I love hearing about food from different cultures! Let me know in the comments below. xJ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I reheat Bread and Butter Pudding?
Absolutely! Covered with foil for around 10-15 minutes at 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4.
What sort of bread should I use to make Bread and Butter Pudding?
White bread, brioche, soft rolls or even croissants are all good! Avoid any form of brown bread, dense, rye or seeded bread, they just don’t work in this recipe. Remember, this is supposed to be a treat.
Can I leave out or replace the raisins or sultanas?
Absolutely! Other dried fruit such as cranberries or apricots works beautifully and should be added at the same time in the recipe that the raisins were. Rhubarb or apple compote is lovely on the side. If you are feeling particularly indulgent, replace the raisins with broken up chunks of chocolate. Yum!
If you want to take your Bread and Butter Pudding to the next level, serve it with a big scoop of vanilla icecream.
Bread and Butter Pudding
Nobody does nursery food quite like the British, and what could be more comforting than an old fashioned Bread and Butter Pudding? The magical transformation of stale white bread into a sweet and custardy pudding is always a delight.
Ingredients
- approx: 500g stale white bread, torn into chunks (see notes)
- 75 g unsaltes butter, melted
for the custard:
- 300 ml milk
- 100 ml cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 75 g sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- orange or lemon zest
additionally
- 75 g raisins or sultanas
- 3 Tbsp flaked almonds
to serve:
- powdered sugar
- 4 scoops vanilla icecream
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4 and grease a 1-litre capacity / 20x 30cm baking dish with a little butter.
- Place the bread into a large mixing bowl and drizzle over the butter, tossing to cover. In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the custard ingredients. Pour the custard over the bread, add the raisins or sultanas then toss gently to combine.
- Spoon the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish, toss the almonds in the liquid still in the mixing bowl, then pour across the top of the bread. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a minute or two before dusting with icing sugar and serving, with icecream or extra custard if you like!
Notes
You can use whatever light white bread you like to make this, or even go the full Gordon Ramsay and make it out of pain au chocolat. If you are using sliced white bread, it’s traditional to remove the crusts, slice the bread into triangles and butter the slices before laying them in the baking dish with the points facing up like little sails. If you are using this method, you can omit the melted butter from the recipe.
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Nutrition
Calories: 789kcal | Carbohydrates: 129g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 786mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 56g
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That’s quite a fancy b&bp, whilst I do love b&bp my favourite classic British pud is Bread pudding eaten cold with a sprinkling of sugar. Whilst they have similar sounding names they are quite different. If you’ve never made it you should defo give it a go……..
Hi there! I have never heard of bread pudding before, but I just looked it up – it looks delicious! Thanks for the tip! J.
It is delicious, the proof is in it. When you make it you should try to do it old school with water and suet, although in this day and age butter is fine too. British blokes cooking have a great recipe. I myself soak my bread in cold tea, not just water. The British mixed spice is another must. I’ve only ever eaten it cold. Enjoy
Thanks for all the tips, I am really looking forward to trying it! I’ll have to see if I can track down suet here in Germany!