Bread & Butter Pudding

This traditional British pudding has a long and varied history dating back to the 11th century! It was also recommended by The Ministry of Food in their ‘Puddings and Sweets’ pamphlet during the Second World War. Not only is it economical, using up stale bread, it’s delicious and simple to make.

My recipe is slightly healthier than the traditional recipe as it has a lower saturated fat content, but it doesn’t lose any of the flavour. If you really miss the double cream, recommended in some recipes, you can simply serve it with cream. I also use fat-reduced spreadable butter.

Makes 8 portions

• 1/2 cup/60g/2oz lightly salted reduced fat spreadable butter

• 10 slices of old white bread with crusts cut off. (you could use brown bread too)

• 1/2 cup/60g/2oz sultanas

• ½ lemon - grated zest

• 450ml/16 fl oz semi skimmed or 1% milk 

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 cup/60g/2oz golden caster sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

• 1/2 cup/60g/2oz golden caster sugar

How to

1. Preheat oven you 180°C/160°C fan/360F Lightly butter a medium sized baking dish (approx 8 x 10 inches) with butter. Spread the remaining butter over one side of the bread. Cut each slice of bread into quarters.

2. Arrange half the bread quarters, buttered side up across the base of the dish and sprinkle with half the sultanas and lemon zest. Repeat adding another layer on top until all the buttered bread is used up. Then sprinkle with sultanas and lemon zest.

3. Custard stage: Heat the milk in a small saucepan until boiling hot. Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk the eggs with 50g of caster sugar, until pale and thick. Slowly pour the hot milk mixture onto the eggs, whisking constantly. Strain through a sieve into a jug, then stir in the vanilla extract.

4. Slowly pour the custard over the bread pudding, soaking all the bread. Sprinkle the surface with the remaining sultanas and sugar and then sprinkle some dried nutmeg on the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes in the centre of the oven, until golden brown.