Bread and Butter Pudding

Bread and Butter Pudding is surely the ultimate use of leftover bread!! While wonderful made with pre-sliced bread, it’s company-worthy made with chunks of bread, whether it’s a leftover loaf, dinner rolls or even hot dog buns(!)

A classic comfort dessert, custardy on the inside, golden and buttery on top. The only real question is this: what will you serve it with? Ice cream, cream, custard – or something else? 😉

Bread and Butter Pudding

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.

If you’ve never tried Bread and Butter Pudding before, be prepared to be amazed because it truly is a thing of beauty. Try telling me you don’t want to eat this!!

And while it’s well-known as a rustic, home-style dessert of frugal origins, nowadays the humble Bread and Butter Pudding even makes an appearance on the menu at upscale bistros! Though admittedly, they tend to make it with rich and extra-buttery bread like brioche and challah, which gives it a really luxurious edge.

But today, we’re using old school, economical everyday plain white bread. 😇 Though I think you’ll agree there’s nothing economical about how this tastes!!!

What you need for Bread and Butter Pudding

Bread…butter… and just a few other things: eggs, milk, cream (or more milk), sugar (less than in most recipes you’ll find), plus sultanas or raisins, cinnamon and vanilla for flavour.

Best bread for bread and butter pudding

I think it’s better to use bread that hasn’t been pre-sliced because then you can cut or tear it into chunks so you get a better custardy texture inside and WAY better crunch on the surface — very appealing characteristics of a Bread and Butter Pudding that I deem company-worthy!

However, my recipe includes directions for the best way to layer pre-sliced bread as well.

As for what type of bread, it’s best to use a soft plain or sweet bread:

• Plain white bread – sliced, unsliced, loaf, block, rolls, hot dog or hamburger buns

• Raisin bread or other similar flavoured bread that will suit a sweet dessert

• Buttery breads – like brioche and challah

• Stale plain cake – I personally am not the type to leave leftover cake lying around until it becomes stale, but if you happen to, then by all means use it. Just be a bit more gentle when tossing in egg mixture

Not recommended / “unusual” results…..

• Bread that is TOO stale – slightly stale bread is ideal (see recipe notes), but bread that’s so gone dry it crumbles into breadcrumbs when you crush it, or if it’s rock hard and you can’t tear it by hand, or so solid you can grate it into bread crumbs, it is no good. This is because once soaked in the egg mixture, it will disintegrate into breadcrumbs;

• Very crusty and chewy artisan bread (like sourdough) – while it will work just fine, it will not be as soft and custardy. Mind you, the sourdough sold at grocery stores and everyday bakeries are not that crusty so will work fine, I am mostly referring to the more expensive (proper) sourdough;

• Seeded and savoury flavoured breads – I’m not here to tell you how you should or should not flavour your bread and butter pudding, but I will say that using Cheese and Bacon Rolls might yield a somewhat odd result…😂

• Heavy breads – Pumpernickel, dense ryes and the like …. obviously.

Today I’ve used a stale loaf of plain white cob bread that was intended for another recipe that never happened.

How to make Bread and Butter Pudding

Here’s how to make it:

1. Cut or tear bread into chunks;

2. Whisk wet ingredients and flavourings together;

3. Mix through bread gently – especially if using bread that’s not stale because it will disintegrate – then leave to soak for 3 minutes so the bread really absorbs all the flavour;

4. Transfer to baking dish, then drizzle with butter (because, after all, we are making a Bread and BUTTER Pudding!) which will make the top extra golden;

5. Bake 25 – 30 minutes until golden but still jiggly underneath when you poke it; and

6. Optional – brush with more butter to make it glisten and for extra buttery flavour.

Pre-sliced bread – the steps are a bit different because the slices are thinner so it’s better to butter then layer them, then pour over the custard mixture. I’ve included directions in the recipe notes.

It looks pretty unimpressive when you soak the bread in the egg mixture, and you will probably be dubious – I certainly was the first time I made this. But have faith! Because half an hour in the oven will transform THIS….

….into THIS!!!

Golden and crusty on the surface, and beautifully custardy inside, once you start eating, it is impossible to stop!

Large one for sharing – or individual servings

For ease of preparation, I’ve made this in one big baking dish but you can certainly make individual ramekins if you’d like. That’s how it’s made at upscale bistros, and it plates up really nicely if you put the ramekin on a plate along with a little jug of sauce or a dish of ice cream.

If you make one large one, just leave it to rest for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven. It will make it “set” slightly so you can cut neat slices rather than the bread pieces tumbling everywhere.

Also, a nice way to serve it is to cut square pieces and stack them on top of each other to make it look taller, which is how it’s pictured throughout this post.

Toppings for Bread and Butter Pudding

I intentionally make my Bread and Butter Pudding less sweet than most – I only use 1/2 cup of sugar compared to around 1 1/2 – 2 cups for the same quantity of bread in some versions – because my base assumption is that there WILL be toppings.

There’s plenty of options, and here are just a few ideas:

• Ice cream – the contrast between creamy and cold against hot/crusty/custardy is just a match made in heaven;

• Custard – rich and silky, I prefer using the pouring kind but the dolloping kind would be terrific too!

• Cream or mascarpone

• Strawberries and cream (YES!)

• Maple syrup, golden syrup, honey

• Chocolate sauce, strawberry, salted caramel or other sweet sauces

Fellow Bread and Butter Pudding fans! TELL ME – what is your favourite topping? Let’s round out the list!! – Nagi xx

Watch how to make it

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Bread and Butter Pudding

Author: Nagi

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Total: 35 mins

Sweet

Australian, English, Western

4.97 from 87 votes

Servings6 - 8

Tap or hover to scale

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Recipe video above. A quintessential British dessert and a firm favourite world-wide, this is custardy on the inside, and golden and buttery on the surface! While pre-sliced bread works a treat, it's dinner party-worthy when made with bread that can be cut or torn into cubes. Crunchier surface, and better custardy texture inside!

This is the Aussie / British version which is far less sweet than typical American Bread Pudding recipes (but still plenty sweet in my opinion!). Toppings are not optional!

Ingredients

CupsMetric

• ▢ 8 heaped cups white bread, preferably slightly stale, cut into 2.5 cm / 1" cubes (see Note 1 if for pre-sliced bread)
• ▢ 1 cup sultanas or raisins (or more!)

Egg Mixture:

• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups milk (low or full fat, not zero fat)
• ▢ 1 cup heavy / thickened cream (or any other cream, Note 2 for more milk option)
• ▢ 3 tbsp / 40g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• ▢ 1/2 cup white sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract

Finishes / Serving

• ▢ 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted - for top pre baking
• ▢ 20g / 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted - for brushing post baking (optional)
• ▢ Icing sugar / powdered sugar, for dusting
• ▢ Ice cream, cream, custard, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, etc

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types)
• Egg Mixture: Place eggs in a large bowl, whisk briefly. Add remaining Egg Mixture ingredients and whisk.
• Soak Bread: Add bread and sultanas, briefly mix, then set aside for 3 minutes to allow egg mixture to soak through the bread.
• Transfer to baking dish: Pour into a baking dish (10 cup / 2.5 litre / 2.5 quart). If you have lots of sultanas on the surface, poke them below the surface (Note 3).
• Drizzle then bake: Drizzle over melted butter, then bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden on top and the inside is set but still slightly wobbly (poke to check).
• Brush with remaining 1 1/2 tbsp melted butter (optional), then dust with icing sugar.
• Serve - rest for a few ninutes, then serve immediately, with toppings of choice! My favourites are ice cream, custard and cream.

Recipe Notes:

1. Bread - Though the classic version is made with plain white bread, you can make this with any bread of choice - like raisin bread, hot cross buns, brioche, anything!

Artisan bread with very thick chewy crusts - eg. some types of sourdough: these can be used if they are fresh or a bit stale. Do not use if they are super stale and dried out - they will be rock hard (ie you can't even tear them, you have saw through them with a serrated knife) so not suitable for this recipe.

Rye, seeded breads - they will work fine, I just don't recommend using anything with too strong a flavour that might be at odds with the sweet vanilla flavour of this dish!

Gluten free - absolutely works, it just comes down to how good the GF bread is 🙂

Measuring bread - See photo in post for what I mean by heaped cups. Basically stack bread in a cup so it's heaped - imagine if you pressed down lightly, it would level the cup. Can't provide a weight as breads differ in density. Don't get hung up on exact measurement - you'll easily be able to tell when you mix the bread and egg, should be soaked through, still some egg mixture pooling (slightly). The worst is using way too much bread that doesn't get soaked through = dry pudding!

Pre-sliced bread: Also terrific made with PRE SLICED sandwich bread slices! Use 12 slices (thick cut) or 14 slices (normal thickness), cut in half into triangles then layer in the baking dish slightly overlapping (so surface isn't flat), scatter each layer with sultanas, and pour egg mixture over the whole thing.

Slightly stale bread works a bit better because it doesn't soak through instantly and turn into mush. If using super fresh bread, just be a bit more gentle when tossing into Egg Mixture (I use fresh regularly). 

2. Cream - The basic Bread & Butter Pudding recipe is made with only milk. I like using cream to give this a bit of richness.

Just milk option: Add an extra egg (so 4 eggs in total) then use milk instead of cream (so 2 1/2 cups milk in total). You need the extra egg to ensure this sets because milk is not as thick as cream.

3. Sultanas have a tendency to brown a bit too much in this bake time. So while some on the surface is fine, you don't want too many. So if lots end up on the surface, poke them in a bit!

4. WHAT I DO DIFFERENTLY (and why): Most classic recipes butter the bread slices before cutting / tearing and soaking. I prefer to add melted butter into the mixture for more even distribution and it's just easier, and I like to brush the top with butter before and after baking, just for that extra buttery goodness! (Plus it makes it really nice and golden on top).

Also, while delicious made with sliced bread, I think it's even better made with cut/torn loaf or rolls because you get a WAY better crunchy surface and the texture of the inside is better - more custardy (due to larger bread pieces), fluffier and can be cut with straight sides and stacked on plates so it sits tall and impressively (pictured in post).

5. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. If made using chunks of bread as per recipe, it will even keep the crunchy topping even if reheated in the microwave! 

I haven't tried freezing but I see no reason why it wouldn't work given I freeze Cheese and Bacon Breakfast Strata (which is a savoury bread pudding).

6. Nutrition per serving assuming 8 servings, excluding toppings (because I cannot be held accountable for how much custard you pour over your pudding!). If you include a scoop of ice cream, there's enough for 8 sensible servings. 

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 426cal (21%)Carbohydrates: 50g (17%)Protein: 9g (18%)Fat: 22g (34%)Saturated Fat: 10g (63%)Cholesterol: 106mg (35%)Sodium: 358mg (16%)Potassium: 291mg (8%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 17g (19%)Vitamin A: 885IU (18%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 205mg (21%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Keywords: bread and butter pudding, leftover bread recipes, pudding recipes, winter dessert

Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Originally published April 2017. Updated with sparkling new photos and video – because I had a disaster recipe filming week this week, needed something low stress to shoot to share today, and because I had a giant loaf of stale bread to use!

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Life of Dozer

Yet another benefit of shaved-belly-Dozer……

…..less WATER SPRAY! I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been splattered when I’m not suitable attired. At least I can enjoy 20% less splatter until his fur grows back!!!

And from the original publication date:

Mine!

(And for once, he’s right. They were on sale. I stocked up!!!)

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