Bread And Butter Pudding Recipe

Preheat and grease

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease a 1.5–2 litre (about 6–8 cup) shallow baking dish with 1 teaspoon of butter, spreading it around the base and sides.

Butter the bread

Spread the softened butter evenly on one side of each bread slice. If you prefer a more compact pudding, remove crusts from slices. Optionally tear some slices into irregular pieces for texture.

Assemble bread in dish

Arrange four buttered slices, butter-side-up, in a single layer to cover the base. Scatter half the sultanas (if using) over the bread. Top with remaining slices, overlapping as needed to fill the dish. For a more layered pudding, slightly butter both sides of alternating slices.

Warm milk and cream

In a small saucepan, combine 300 ml whole milk and 200 ml double cream. Warm gently over medium heat until it is hot but not boiling (small bubbles at the edge), about 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk eggs and sugar

While the milk warms, whisk 3 large eggs with 60 g granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a bowl until the sugar is partially dissolved and the mixture is smooth.

Temper and combine

Slowly pour about a quarter of the hot milk-cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Then pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk and cream, whisking to combine thoroughly.

Pour custard over bread

Pour the custard evenly over the arranged buttered bread, gently pressing down so the bread soaks up the liquid. Sprinkle the remaining sultanas over the top if using.

Rest

Let the dish sit for 10–15 minutes at room temperature so the bread absorbs the custard. If any dry spots remain, gently push the bread down into the custard or spoon some custard over them.

Top and bake

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon demerara or brown sugar over the top of the pudding for a caramelized crust. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 30–40 minutes, until the custard is set around the edges and slightly wobbly in the center and the top is golden and bubbling.

Check doneness

To check, insert a skewer into the center — it should come out mostly clean with a little moist custard. If the top is browning too quickly before the custard sets, loosely cover with foil for the remaining baking time.

Cool briefly and serve

Remove the pudding from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm with pouring cream, custard sauce, or vanilla ice cream as desired.