Bread Pudding Recipe

4 minutes

Rustic, indulgent, and perfect with a cuppa. This Bread Pudding recipe elicits fond memories when you bite into its sweet, custard-like texture and spiced flavor.

A Brief History of Bread Pudding

British bread pudding is a traditional dessert that dates back to around the 11th century.

Forebears with a knack for transforming humble ingredients into delectable delights concocted variations of bread-based puddings to (like this website) combat food waste and make the most of every crumb.

Early renditions comprised of sturdy loaves of bread soaked in milk or water, sweetened with honey or sugar, and seasoned with whatever spices could be spared from the larder.

Today, it stands as a testament to our culinary heritage, cherished by gastronomes far and wide as a quintessentially British indulgence.

How to Make Bread Pudding

Step 1: Tear your white bread into large chunks (large, uneven, bite-sized pieces are perfect). Break open and beat two eggs, set aside. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) fan or 160°C (325°F) gas.

Step 2: Place the torn bread pieces, mixed dried fruit (small pieces), mixed peel, and mixed spice into a large bowl. Pour in the milk and then mix well using your hands to scrunch all the ingredients together.

Step 3: Next, add your beaten eggs, light muscovado sugar, and zest of orange to the bowl. Stir well, then let sit for 15 minutes to soak up the milk and other flavours.

Step 4: Add the melted butter into your pudding mixture using your hands to stir it all together. Butter (or grease) your non-stick cake tin. Pour the pudding mixture into your 20cm (8×8 in) baking tin. Scatter demerara sugar evenly across the top.

Step 5: Bake for 1.5 hours (90 minutes) until firm and golden. Let cool for 10 minutes, turn out of tin, cut into squares, then serve & enjoy!

Tweaks

Need a few inspirational ideas? Give these tweaks a try….

• Different Bread: Different types of bread, such as brioche or challah, can make for a richer pudding.
• Fruit Mixture: Instead of traditional mixed dried fruit, try using raisins, dates, cranberries, and chopped apricots for diverse flavor profile.
• Mixed Peel: If you find the mixed peel too strong, you can reduce the quantity or omit it altogether. Alternatively, you could substitute it with candied orange peel for a sweeter, citrusy flavor.
• Lemon Zest: If orange zest is too sweet, try lemon zest instead. It’ll cut through some of the heaviness of this dish.
• Spices: Experiment with your spice ratios to adjust the flavour to your liking. Try increasing the cinnamon and ginger for extra warmth.

Storage

I’m sure you’ve made more than you can eat in one sitting. That’s okay, we’re pros at the storage bit….

Refrigerate: Once baked and cooled, you can store your leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days. 

Freeze: You can freeze bread pudding for around 2 months. Full instructions can be found here.

Reheat: The best way to defrost bread pudding is to remove it from the freezer the night before you plan to use it and transfer it to the fridge. If you’re in a hurry, you can defrost bread pudding in the microwave on a low setting before reheating it in the oven.

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