The ultimate way to use leftover Bread is Bread and Butter Pudding! It’s excellent with presliced but even better with leftover Bread.

This classic comfort dessert is custardy and golden on the outside, with a buttery topping. What will you serve this with? What about ice cream, cream, or custard?

Bread and Butter Pudding

I can remember my first experience with Bread and Butter Pudding. I was cynical. What? Stale Bread as a dessert? It was ridiculous.

How wrong I was.

You will be amazed if you have never had Bread and Butter Pudding. It is truly a beautiful dessert. Tell me that you do not want to eat it!!

While it is well known as a simple, rustic dessert with a frugal history, today, the humble Bread and Butter Pudding can be found on the menu of upscale restaurants. They make it using rich, extra-buttery, buttery Bread like Brioche or challah. This gives it an extra luxurious edge.

Today, we are using plain, old-fashioned white Bread. You’ll probably agree that this Bread could be more economical!!

Bread and Butter Pudding

Bread… Butter…and a few more ingredients: eggs, milk (or cream), sugar (less in comparison to most recipes), plus sultanas, raisins, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Best Bread for Bread and Butter Pudding

Using unsliced Bread is best because you can tear or cut it into pieces, giving you a custardy texture and a much better crunchier surface. These are all desirable characteristics for a Bread and Butter Pudding, which I consider company-worthy.

My recipe also includes instructions on how to layer presliced toast best.

It’s best to choose sweet or plain soft Bread.

  • Plain white Bread, sliced or unsliced, in loaves, blocks, rolls, hamburger buns, or hot dog buns
  • Raisin or similarly flavored loaves that are suitable for a sweet dessert
  • Buttery Bread like Brioche, challah
  • Use stale plain cake. I’m not one to keep leftover cake around for long, but if that is what you do, go ahead. Toss the egg mixture with a little more care.

“UNUSUAL RESULTS” …..

    • Bread too stale– a slightly stale loaf is best, but if the Bread is so dry that it crumbles when crushed, or is so hard that you cannot tear it with your hands, or is so solid that you could grate into breadcrumbs, then it’s not good. It will turn into breadcrumbs after being soaked in egg mixture.
    • A very crusty, chewy artisan loaf (like the sourdough). It will work fine but will be more soft and custardy. The sourdough in grocery stores and bakeries is less crusty so it will work fine. I’m mainly referring to the expensive (proper sourdough).
    • Seeded savory Bread, I am not here to tell you how to flavor your bread-and-butter pudding. However, using Bacon and Cheese Rolls could produce an odd result.
    • Dense bread – Pumpernickel and other dense loaves of Bread.
  • Today I used a stale white cob loaf meant for another recipe but never came to be.

How To Make Bread and Butter Pudding

  • How to make it?
    1. Slice or tear the Bread into pieces;
    2. Mix the wet ingredients with the flavorings.
    3. If you are using fresh Bread, mix it gently. Otherwise, the Bread will crumble. Let the Bread soak for three minutes to absorb all the flavor.
    4. Then drizzle Butter over the top (because we’re making a Bread and Butter Pudding! This will make the top extra golden;
    5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown but still jiggly when poked.
    6. Brush with additional Butter if you want it to shine and taste buttery.
  • Presliced Bread — the steps differ because the bread slices are thinner. It’s best to butter them first, then layer and pour the custard. The directions are included in the recipe notes.

Toppings For Bread and Butter Pudding

  • I make my Bread and Butter Pudding a little less sweet than others – I use only 1/2 cup sugar instead of 1 1/2 to 2 cups in other versions for the same amount of Bread – as I assume there will be toppings.
  • Here are a few of the many options available:
    • Ice cream perfectly matches cold and creamy against hot/crusty/custardy.
    • Custard– rich, silky, and delicious. I prefer the dolloping method but pouring would also be great!
    • Cream or Mascarpone
    • Strawberries with cream (YES!)
  • Maple syrup, golden syrup, honey

Ingredients

      • # Eight cups of white Bread, preferably slightly old, cut into cubes measuring 2.5 cm (1″)
      • ▢ 1 cup sultanas or raisins (or more!)

EGG MIXTURE

      • ▢ Three eggs
      • ▢ Milk (low fat or total fat but not zero fat).
      • ▢ One cup thickened heavy cream (or another cream; Note 2 for additional milk option).
      • ▢ Unsalted Butter, 3 tbsp/40g, melted, then cooled.
      • ▢ White sugar, 1/2 cup
      • ▢ 1 tsp of cinnamon powder
      • ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract

FINISHES/SERVING

      • ▢ For the top of the baking, melt 30g/2 tbsp butter unsalted.
      • ▢ Optional: 20g / 1.5 tbsp of unsalted Butter melted for brushing after baking.
      • ▢ Dusting powder/icing sugar
      • ▢ Ice cream, cream, custard, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, etc

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 180degC/350degF for all oven types

      • Egg mix: Place the eggs in a bowl and whisk them briefly. Add the remaining ingredients to the Egg Mixture and whisk.
      • Soak Bread: Add the Bread and sultanas. Mix briefly, then leave aside for 3 mins to allow the egg mixture to soak into the Bread.
      • Pour into a baking dish: Pour into a baking pan (10 cups/2.5 liter/2.5 quart). If there are many sultanas, push them down below the surface of the mixture (Note 3).
      • Drizzle and bake: Drizzle Butter over the top, then bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown. The inside should be set but slightly wobbly.
      • Dust in icing sugar, then brush with the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of melted Butter.
    • Severest for a few minutes, then serve with your toppings! Ice cream, custard, and cream are my favorites.