a British classic that has long been celebrated for its simplicity and is a wonderful way of using up old leftover bread.
The best thing with this pudding recipe is its versatility – feel free to use any type of bread you have hanging around the kitchen, be it a simple white sliced bloomer, an artisan sourdough, a rich brioche, or even a seasonal bake like panettone or stollen for a decadent Christmas-themed pudding.
50g butter, softened
6 slices white bread
25g currants
25g sultanas
3 medium eggs
568ml full-fat milk
50g light muscovado sugar
Pinch of ground mixed spice
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven) mark 4. Lightly grease a 1.1 litre ovenproof dish with a little of the butter. Use the rest to spread evenly over the bread then cut each slice in half diagonally. Arrange in the dish, each slice slightly overlapping the last, and sprinkle the currants and sultanas over the top.
Step 2
Beat together the eggs, milk, sugar and ground mixed spice in a bowl then pour over the bread. Leave to soak for 30min.
Step 3
Bake in the oven for 45-55min or until the pudding is golden brown but still slightly moist in the centre. Serve with a drizzle of single cream.
The older the bread, the better it is. Stale bread soaks up liquids more readily than fresh bread, so it is important to give the bread time to sit in the custard – stale bread will take longer to soften as the starch molecules in the bread have recrystallised. Make sure to press the bread down, so every bit of bread is covered by the custard. We recommend a minimum soaking time of 30 minutes in this recipe, but the longer the soak the better. If possible, cover the dish with cling film and leave in the fridge for up to a day before baking.
Leaving the prepared pudding to soak for half an hour before you bake it is the key to ensuring a brilliant result.
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