Bread and butter pudding
Buttered bread and sultanas baked in a vanilla-scented custard until puffed and golden. A thrifty classic that uses up stale bread.
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 40 mins
- Total
- 1 hr
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Budget
Recipe: Bread and butter pudding
Bread and butter pudding
Ingredients
- 50g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 8 slices white bread, day-old, medium sliced
- 50g sultanas
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon, or mixed spice
- 350ml whole milk
- 150ml double cream
- 3 large eggs
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- nutmeg, for grating
- 1 tbsp demerara sugar
Kitchen kit
- 1.5 litre ovenproof dish Search Amazon for ceramic baking dish 1.5 litre
- Roasting tin (for a water bath, optional) Search Amazon for roasting tin
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Method
-
Step 1: Butter the bread
Grease a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish. Butter the bread on one side, then cut each slice into four triangles (crusts on or off as you like).
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Step 2: Layer
Arrange a layer of bread, butter-side up, in the dish, scatter with half the sultanas and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Repeat, finishing with neatly overlapping triangles on top.
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Step 3: Make the custard
Warm the milk and cream in a pan until just steaming. Whisk the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla in a jug, then slowly whisk in the warm milk.
-
Step 4: Soak
Pour the custard evenly over the bread, pressing the bread down gently. Grate over some nutmeg and sprinkle with demerara. Leave to soak for 20–30 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4.
-
Step 5: Bake
Bake for 35–40 minutes until puffed, golden and just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Tips
- Stale bread soaks up more custard without going mushy.
- For an extra-silky custard, stand the dish in a roasting tin half-filled with hot water while it bakes.
Storing & reheating
Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours; eat within 2 days. Reheat once, until piping hot.
Freezing
Not ideal – the custard can turn watery. Best eaten fresh.
Variations
- Panettone or brioche: use slices of panettone at Christmas and skip the sultanas.
- Marmalade: spread the bread thinly with marmalade as well as butter.
Allergies: Always check the labels of the ingredients you buy for allergens — our dietary tags are a guide, not a guarantee.
From feeed.co.uk/recipes/bread-and-butter-pudding/ · Checked 17 October 2026
Questions people ask
Can I use semi-skimmed milk?
Yes, though the custard will be slightly less rich. Keep the cream for the best texture.
How do I know it's cooked?
The custard should be set with just a slight wobble in the middle, and a knife inserted near the centre should come out without liquid custard.
Sources & inspiration
Checked 17 October 2026. Written in our own words; we checked proportions, technique and food safety against:
- BBC Good Food: Bread and butter pudding (quantities, oven temperature and timings compared) (bbcgoodfood.com)
- FSA: chilling and storing food safely (food.gov.uk)
See other recipes that use the same kit on our kitchen kit pages.
