Bread and Butter Pudding

Method

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1. Soak the raisins in the brandy for 20 minutes.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

2. Butter the bread on one side and cut each slice into triangles. Butter a 2 litre baking dish.

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3. Heat the milk, cream and vanilla until steaming, then take off the heat and leave 10 minutes to infuse.

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4. Whisk the eggs, yolks, caster sugar, salt and lemon zest, then pour the warm milk in slowly, whisking. Strain.

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5. Layer half the bread buttered side up in the dish, scatter the soaked raisins over, then arrange the rest of the bread on top, overlapping so the points stand proud.

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6. Pour the custard over and press the bread down gently. Leave 30 minutes for it to soak in.

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7. Scatter with demerara and grate nutmeg over the top.

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8. Sit the dish in a roasting tin, pour boiling water halfway up the sides, and bake at 160C fan for 40 to 45 minutes.

   Mark done Start 40 min timer

9. It is ready when the middle has a slight wobble and the peaks are dark gold. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Day-old bread, not fresh. Fresh bread turns to paste.
• The 30-minute soak is the difference between pudding and bread in custard.
• Leave the top points dry so they crisp instead of steaming.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.

Pairing Suggestions

• Pouring cream or vanilla ice cream
• A glass of dessert wine
• Strong tea

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 3 days and reheat covered at 160C fan for 15 minutes. Freezes 1 month.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.