Bread and Butter Pudding is surely the ultimate transformation of leftover bread!! A classic comfort dessert, it’s custardy on the inside, golden and buttery on top. The only question is this: what will you serve it with? Ice cream, cream, custard – or something else?
I remember the first time I had Bread and Butter Pudding. I was really cynical. Stale bread for a dessert?? It sounded ridiculous.
How wrong I was. And how happy I was. Like a pig in mud, shovelling that moist, custardy pudding smothered in……..hmmm. I can’t remember. Probably ice cream. That’s my favourite. No wait, custard is my favourite. Homemade Custard. Can’t beat that.
No wait. Homemade Ice Cream and Homemade Custard. Ahhh. That is the ultimate combination, surely!!!
As I was doing my usual background research before sharing my Bread and Butter Pudding recipe, I was interested to learn that it’s called Bread Pudding in the States and there’s a quite well known New Orleans / Southern(?) version that is served with a sweet Bourbon Sauce.
This is Bread and Butter Pudding as we know it here in Australia, a classic English dessert. One key difference between this Australian/English version and the American version is that this – well, at least mine – uses far less sugar. I only use 1/2 cup of sugar compared to around 1 1/2 – 2 cups for the same quantity of bread in American versions.
I really think 1/2 cup of sugar is sweet enough, especially because this is the sort of dessert that really does need to be served with some kind of sauce or ice cream. So that provides extra sweetness.
Speaking of toppings!!! So I’ve already rattled on about ice cream and custard, but let’s not stop there! Cream is another obvious option, but the way I look at it, basically any sweet sauce goes great with Bread and Butter Pudding. Maple syrup, golden syrup, even honey, chocolate sauce, strawberry or other sweet sauces. You could even thin out a jam with hot water to turn that into a syrup!
Fellow Bread and Butter Pudding fans! TELL ME – what is your favourite topping? Let’s round out the list!! – Nagi xx
MORE WARM PUDDINGS FOR COLD WINTER NIGHTS
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Bread and Butter Pudding
Ingredients
- 7 heaped cups white bread, preferably slightly stale, cut into 2.5 cm / 1" cubes (Note 1)
- 1 cup sultanas or raisins (or more!)
Egg Mixture:
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups / 375 ml milk (low or full fat, not zero fat)
- 1 cup / 250ml heavy / thickened cream (or any other cream or even more full fat milk) (Note 2)
- 3 tbsp / 40 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup / 110g white sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Finishes / Serving
- 2 tbsp / 30 g unsalted butter, melted - for top pre baking
- 1 1/2 tbsp / 20 g unsalted butter, melted - for brushing post baking (optional)
- Icing sugar, for dusting
- Ice cream, cream, custard, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Place eggs in a large bowl, whisk briefly.
- Add remaining Egg Mixture ingredients and whisk.
- Add bread and sultanas, briefly mix, then set aside for 3 minutes to allow egg mixture to soak through the bread.
- Pour into a 10 cup / 2.5 litre / 2.5 quart baking dish. If you have heaps of sultanas on the surface, poke them in a bit (Note 3).
- Drizzle over 2 tbsp melted butter, then bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden on top and the inside is set but still slightly wobbly.
- Brush with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp melted butter (optional), then dust with icing sugar.
- Serve immediately, with toppings of choice! My favourites are ice cream, custard and cream.
Recipe Notes:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Bread and Butter Pudding recipe video!
LIFE OF DOZER
Mine!
(And for once, he’s right. They were on sale. I stocked up!!!)
WHYYYYYYYYY are your recipes so gosh darn delicious?!!??!?! 😛 I did a freezer clean out last night which resulted in 5 loaves worth of bread ends. I am anti food wastage (espec with the apocalypse right now!), so right away looked up your website and ‘bread and butter pudding’ (I have loved every recipe of yours so far so knew it would be a winner)… and boy, oh, boy, it did NOT disappoint. Only a few modifications – I reduced the sugar to about 80g and didn’t baste with butter (you know, so it would be ‘healthier’ hahaha) and cooked in a water bath for a little longer than the suggested time. The top was lovely and crusty and the inside was custardy heaven. Served with thickened cream, because I don’t do anything in halves. haha Thank you for another awesome recipe.
Hi Nagi!
This isn’t anything like the methods I’ve used for bread and butter puddings past – but it may well be the only one I use in the future! Holy cow this was great!
Had a loaf of (fairly bland!) white sourdough we’d bought the day before and didn’t use – didn’t have enough room in the freezer for it – but really didn’t wanna waste it! – so thought B&B pudding – and thought I’d look up your site to get your take on it…
I was a little dubious – where was the marmalade? – and the method seemed more like a sweet strata than the pudding I was used to…
But you haven’t let me down – so made it as instructed.
The only mild tweak was that after pouring the melted butter on top at the end – I gave it a generous sprinkle of Demerara sugar as well – which turned all crunchy after baking (and not cloyingly sweet!).
Really – fantastic! Thank you again!
PS: I left the crusts on except for the too-thick bottom one – too hard to faff around with the rest of ‘em – so did leave the pudding to soak a while while the main course was in the oven (your slow roasted lamb shoulder! Am heading there to comment next! Lol!) – so yeah – crusts were fine and beautifully crunchy on top with the butter and sugar!
Sounds fabulous Ron, I love the sugar idea! N x
Can I use sweetened condensed milk for the cream…?
Hi Mikki, I feel it would be far too rich and sweet with it as is – although I’d love to know if it works without the sugar and sweetened condensed milk in place of cream. N x
I’ll try it both ways and let you know! Thanks Nagi!
Hi
What bread did you use in the recipe in the video please, Nagi ?
Hi Eva, just a white block loaf – N x
Followed the recipe exactly and the outcome is fantastic. Even my picky family members love it!
I grew up eating the wonderful bread pudding my mother made. I haven’t made yours yet, but am hoping it is as good as what I remember her’s being. Because, of course, I didn’t bother to get her recipe before she passed. (Kick to my rear end.) Any way, we ate it fresh out of the oven with just plain milk poured over it. Try it – it’s delicious that way. Yum – I am going to have to make this tomorrow!
Oh Cherie, I love food memories! I hope this recipe stacks up to your Mothers ❤️
Im not a good baker but when I made this, it was absolutely delicious. I couldnt stop myself from eating and kept dreaming about it once it is long gone.
I’m so glad you loved it Nur! Sounds like you nailed it!
Sorry, I forgot. I live in the USA, so yes, we call it bread pudding here.