Bread and Butter Pudding

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the dish

   Heat the oven to 180°C conventional or 160°C fan. Lightly butter a 1.5 litre baking dish using a little of the listed butter.

2. 2

   Butter the bread

   At room temperature, spread the remaining butter over the bread and cut each slice into triangles. Arrange the pieces in the dish, buttered sides facing upwards, scattering the sultanas between the layers.

3. 3

   Mix the custard

   At room temperature, whisk the eggs, milk, cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until combined, about 1 minute.

4. 4

   Soak the bread

   Pour the custard evenly over the bread and gently press the top pieces into the liquid. Leave at room temperature for 10 minutes, until the bread has started to absorb it.

5. 5

   Season the top

   At room temperature, sprinkle the cinnamon and nutmeg evenly over the pudding. Leave any exposed bread above the custard.

6. 6

   Bake until set

   Bake at 180°C conventional or 160°C fan for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden and the centre is just set with a slight wobble. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover it with foil.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Take the dish out of the oven and rest at room temperature for 10 minutes, until the custard settles. Serve warm.

Tips

• Scatter the sultanas between the layers so they do not all sit on top and dry out.
• Whisk just until combined to avoid incorporating lots of air, which can make the baked custard foamy.
• Keep an eye on the top towards the end of baking and loosely cover it with foil if it browns too quickly.
• Avoid overbaking, as the custard can turn firm and grainy.

Swaps

• Use raisins in place of sultanas.
• Use brioche in place of white bread for a richer pudding.
• Replace the ground cinnamon with mixed spice.

Storing

Cool, cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days; reheat gently in the oven until warmed through.