Bread and butter pudding – the perfect Winter comfort food. I’ve been baking bread and butter pudding for so many years and over that time I’ve tried many variations – different types of breads, different types of sugar, adding sultanas, even adding apricot jam – always in search of “The One”. Finally, after much experimentation (and what delicious fun it has been doing all of that “research”!) I have finally come up with a recipe that is a firm favourite at our place.
I’m a bit of a lazy cook I have to admit, so I made this recipe quick and easy. No fancy arranging of the bread pieces, no fuss with making the custard, and it uses raisin bread so the fruit is already added – one less step to think of. Raisin bread is known variously as raisin toast, raisin bread and fruit loaf in Australia. In the UK it is most commonly called fruit loaf and for my US readers it is raisin bread. It is basically a regular loaf of sliced bread with raisins baked into it and sometimes flavoured with cinnamon or other spices. Here’s a link to the type of fruit loaf that I use for this recipe.
One last note before we get to the how-to. I use icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar) for my bread and butter pudding. For me, this is key. It creates the most divine crispy sweet crust on the top of the pudding which simultaneously crunches and melts in your mouth with every bite. If however you don’t have any icing sugar on hand, then you can substitute it with either caster sugar or raw sugar. Once you’ve tried it with the icing sugar though, you will be adding it to your cupboard staples, I guarantee it.
So, without further ado, here’s my super simple, best ever, bread and butter pudding recipe.
| Easy Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe |
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- 8 slices of raisin bread (see note below)
- 4 eggs
- 1 and 3/4 cups milk
- 1 tbs vanilla essence
- 1/4 cup icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
- 4 generous tbs butter (plus extra for greasing the baking dish)
- cinnamon powder
- Preheat the over to 160C (325F)
- Grease your baking dish with a little melted butter.
- Cut 4 of the bread slices into squares and arrange them on the base of the baking dish. (The pic below shows how densely I packed the bread squares)
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs lightly, then whisk in the milk and vanilla essence.
- In a separate bowl, melt the butter and then stir in the icing sugar. The icing sugar may not blend into the melted butter completely – that’s fine. Spread half of the melted butter mixture onto the remaining 4 slices of raisin bread. Cut each slice into 4 pieces and then set aside.
- Whisk the remaining butter mixture into the egg mix. Pour the egg mix on top of the bread in the baking dish.
- Arrange the 4 buttered and quartered slices of raisin bread over the top of the baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon. (This pic shows how I arrange the pieces on top. I’m not too neat about it,I like a rustic look! I also like to cover the egg mixture completely to give a lovely golden, crunchy top)
- Bake for 50 mins or until custard is set.
Raisin bread is known variously as raisin toast, raisin bread and fruit loaf in Australia. In the UK it is most commonly called fruit loaf and for my US readers it is raisin bread. It is basically a regular loaf of sliced bread with raisins baked into it and sometimes flavoured with cinnamon or other spices. Here’s a link to the type of fruit loaf that I use for this recipe.
I’m trying a new printer-friendly format for this recipe, using the Easy Recipe Plugin. Thank you to Kate at Picklebums for sharing the link to this plugin on her fabulous Beef and Veggie Pot Pie Recipe.
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Bread and Butter pudding is one of my top 3 favorite desserts — I JUST ADORE IT
I’ve seen and made a lot of versions in my day and this is the first I’ve seen that calls for the icing sugar! What an amazingly good idea, I MUST try this!
Sometime, if you haven’t already, you should try Nigella Lawson’s version that uses ginger jam on the bread — it’s divine!
Ooh I love Nigella’s recipes! Thanks for the tip I’ll look that one up. I once tried her ginger spiced self saucing pudding. Fabulously good! So what else makes it into your top 3?
Chocolate Cake. And pie. Any kind of good pie. And Bread & Butter pudding! Those are my favorites!
Hi Ness,
Perhaps you don’t mind if I share your Easy Bread and Butter Pudding recipe in our food network http://www.mycookbook.com , i believe this info will be valuable.
Surely I’ll include the original source and give you credit
Let me know,
Thanks
Hi Sarah, thanks for your comment. I’ve emailed you.
Ohh yum! Bread and jam pudding is a favourite at our house and I totally agree that it is perfect for Winter. I have to admit I’m not a fan of the sultanas or raisins, so that’s why we go with jam, but I love your idea of using the sugar so will add that to ours next time
Thanks for stopping by Kelly. I’m not a huge fan of sultanas wither really – as soon as I see them listed as an ingredient I’m turned off but for some reason I love them in this. Even R loves this recipe and he won’t go near a sultana! haha I did enjoy the jam version when I tried it many years ago. I might give it another go next time.
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