Bread & Butter Pudding (small batch)

 

If you are looking for a very simple, classic dessert to make at the weekend, you can't really go wrong with this classic bread and butter pudding recipe.  This recipe has been pleasing people for many, many years. It has always been a favorite in my home, and has always been a favorite school dinner dessert as well.

This is a traditional English dessert recipe, very basic.  Fragrant, and rich, with plenty of crispy butter bits on top, toasty and crunchy  . . .  and a wobbly souffle like custard base.

 

With some sticky sweet dried currants studded throughout and a hint of citrus from some  finely chopped candied peel and the use of fresh lemon zest in the egg custard.

Nutmeg is grated over top.  Very traditional. Almost like an egg custard tart, but not quite.  Sweet, but not over the top sweet. Rich, but not over the top rich.  Incredibly moreish.  School room comfort.  

I love this so much. I have a hard time keeping myself from picking off those buttery crunchy bready corners.  Toasty and rich.  Prepare to fall in love.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING

Simple basic every day ingredients.  There is nothing at all complicated about this pudding.  Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way.

• 4 slices of bread from a small loaf (I used sour dough)
• softened butter to spread
• 2 TBS finely chopped candied peel or ginger
• 2 TBS dried currants
• 2 TBS granulated sugar
• the finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 2 medium free range eggs (or one large free range egg and 1 large free range egg yolk)
• 2/3 cup (135ml) whole milk
• 1/4 cup (30ml) heavy cream
• nutmeg to grate over top

 

You don't need a special type of bread to make this classic bread and butter pudding recipe.  Any white bread will do. You do want it to be a tiny bit stale.   I used bread from a sour dough loaf that I happen to buy at my local superstore. 

THIS is the one I buy.  It is baked fresh in the store almost daily and is about the size of a small loaf of white bread.

Do be generous with the butter when spreading the bread with it.  This will give your pudding a rich buttery flavor and it will also help to create that beautiful golden brown crust on top.

 

If you can't get dried currants, you can substitute some chopped raisins for them. Anything sticky and sweet like raisins will work, even dried cranberries.

If you don't have candied peel, feel free to leave it out or use some finely chopped candied ginger in it's place.  This adds a beautiful flavor.

I use salted butter. I also like to use free range, organic if possible, eggs.  Eggs from happy hens. Any egg will work.  I just, personally, refuse to support the inhumane industry of using caged hens for eggs. It is my own personal choice.

There is no need for vanilla or anything in the custard.  The lemon zest adds plenty of flavor as does the grating of nutmeg on top.

Do note this is not a super sweet pudding so if you like your puddings really sweet, you may want to add a bit more sugar.

 

HOW TO MAKE BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING 

This is really a very simple dessert, with loads of comfort value. It is a very easy pudding to make.  Just make sure you use a deep dish which is large enough to hold everything comfortably.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a deep baking or pie dish, about 5 by 7 inches in size, really well.

 

Butter each slice of bread really well and then cut in half crosswise. If the bread slices are really large you can cut them in half yet again into quarters, leaving the crusts on.

Arrange half of the bread over the base of the dish. Sprinkle the candied peel and half of the currants over top. Cover with the remainder of the bread and then the remaining currants.

Whisk the eggs, milk and cream together in a jug along with the sugar, thoroughly combining them well. (Sometimes it is helpful to whisk the eggs first and then whisk everything else into them.)

 

Pour the whole lot over the bread in the pan, smooshing the bread down a bit to make sure it gets covered as much as possible. (It won't stay down and will bounce back up, don't worry, hat's normal. You just want some of the custard to soak into the top layer as well.)

Grate a light dusting of nutmeg over top of the pudding. Bake the pudding on the center shelf of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crusty in places. It will look really puffed up, but will sink as it cools.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

 

I am from the "Love it" camp when it comes to bread puddings of any kind. This is the perfect comfort food dessert in my books.  I enjoyed it just as is, warm from the oven. 

 

It would be really lovely served warm with some cream drizzled over top, or a bit of warm custard sauce.  I love the crispy buttery bits of the toasted bread, and that souffle like wobbly bottom. Oh so tasty!

I am no stranger to bread pudding of any kind. I quite simply adore it. If you are like me, there will not be a bread pudding that you don't fall in love with. Here are some other favorite versions that you might also enjoy!

CHOCOLATE BOX BREAD PUDDING FOR TWO - You could easily make this for more people. What you have here is a lush bread pudding made from stale croissants, with the added treat of some fudge bits and a few chocolate caramel barrels. A sprinkle of demerara sugar on top gives them a crisp sugary topping.  Delicious served warm with some cream drizzled over top.

SWEET ALMOND BREAD PUDDING WITH BLACKBERRY SAUCE - Another small batch recipe which uses stale brioche.  This has a lovely rich custard,  with just the right amount of wobble, as well as lovely almond flavors and the crunch of flaked almonds on top. That blackberry sauce is to die for. You could also double this recipe to feed more if you wish.

Yield: 2 - 3

Author: Marie Rayner

Bread & Butter Pudding

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinInactive time: 5 MinTotal time: 45 Min

This traditional British recipe is the epitome of a British comfort dessert. Soft and wobbly on the bottom, with a light brown gilded, crisp and buttery top.

Ingredients

• 4 slices of bread from a small loaf (I used sour dough)
• softened butter to spread
• 2 TBS finely chopped candied peel or ginger
• 2 TBS dried currants
• 2 TBS granulated sugar
• the finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 2 medium free range eggs (or one large free range egg and 1 large free range egg yolk)
• 2/3 cup (135ml) whole milk
• 1/4 cup (30ml) heavy cream
• nutmeg to grate over top

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a deep baking or pie dish, about 5 by 7 inches in size, really well.
2. Butter each slice of bread really well and then cut in half crosswise. If the bread slices are really large you can cut them in half yet again into quarters, leaving the crusts on.
3. Arrange half of the bread over the base of the dish. Sprinkle the candied peel and half of the currants over top. Cover with the remainder of the bread and then the remaining currants.
4. Whisk the eggs, milk and cream together in a jug along with the sugar, thoroughly combining them well. (Sometimes it is helpful to whisk the eggs first and then whisk everything else into them.)
5. Pour the whole lot over the bread in the pan, smooshing the bread down a bit to make sure it gets covered as much as possible. (It won't stay down and will bounce back up, don't worry, hat's normal. You just want some of the custard to soak into the top layer as well.)
6. Grate a light dusting of nutmeg over top of the pudding. Bake the pudding on the center shelf of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and crusty in places. It will look really puffed up, but will sink as it cools.
7. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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