Bread and butter pudding is one of the most popular and simple, old-fashioned British desserts. Layered of bread slices are bathed in a vanilla custard, sprinkled with raisins, dusted with delicious nutmeg and baked until golden brown.
This dessert is sometimes served in upscale restaurants using the more luxurious brioche bread; this has not always the case for this comfort food dish.
Dating back to the 13th Century, bread and butter pudding was known as poor man’s pudding. Popular in the lower classes, this easy dessert was a delicious way to use up all the leftover stale bread and butter.
There are many other modern twists to bread and butter pudding (also known as just bread pudding). For Christmas and the holiday season, panettone is often used as well as adding other dried fruit and spiking it with rum or brandy is popular.
For history’s sake in this recipe, we’re sticking with the creamy simplicity of the traditional recipe.
Where this may be a simple recipe, it does require a little time for the custard to soak into the bread. The recipe starts with buttering one side of the bread slices.
Triangles are my preferred cut as the peaks brown and become deliciously crispy, the slices are layered in a decorative manner with all the peaks pointing up and slightly overlapped which serves as a pretty presentation.
Raisins are sprinkled amongst the slices and another layer is applied. The custard is very simply eggs, half and half (half milk, half cream), vanilla and sugar.
This is poured over the bread slices and allowed to soak. The top is garnished with fresh nutmeg (freshly grated is always best) and a final dusting of sugar is added before the pudding is baked.
Not just a dessert dish, this bread and butter pudding can be served for breakfast or brunch with a side of fresh berries.
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Bread & Butter Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter softened, plus more for greasing pan
- 3 large Egg
- 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar plus 2 teaspoons
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- 16 slices White Bread crusts removed and cut into triangles, day or 2-days old
- 2 tablespoons Raisins
- Grated Nutmeg fresh
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with unsalted butter.
- Add the eggs to a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and whisk until pale and the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in the half and half and vanilla, set aside.
- Spread the butter evenly on one side of the bread slices.
- Arrange half of the bread slices in the bottom of the baking dish, slightly overlapping and spread over half of the raisins. Repeat with another layer of bread slices and raisins.
- Pour the egg custard over the bread layers and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Top with the rest of the sugar and a grating of nutmeg.
- Bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden brown. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to set before serving.