BREAD PUDDING WITH BUTTERSCOTCH

Prep time 45 mins Cooking time 1 hour 10 mins Serves 8

Ingredients

120g butter

450g day-old crustless rye sourdough or wholemeal sourdough bread (about 1½ loaves), coarsely torn

4 eggs and 4 egg yolks 600g crème fraîche, plus extra to serve

180g caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

400ml single cream BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE

170g caster sugar

150ml pouring cream

30g butter, diced

Icing sugar and thickly sliced banana, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Melt 80g butter in a saucepan over low heat, then combine with bread in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spread on the baking tray and bake, shaking occasionally, until golden and evenly toasted (25-30 mins). Reduce oven to 160°C and line a 10cm-deep, 8.5cm x 22cm loaf tin with baking paper, letting paper overhang on sides, and pile in the bread. Whisk eggs, yolks, crème fraîche and caster sugar in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in cream and pour mixture over bread, pressing to submerge, and stand until bread is soaked (30 mins; some bread will rise up again, which is OK – it’ll be nice and crunchy when baked). Scatter with extra sugar and bake until golden and firm, and a skewer withdraws clean (45 mins to 1 hour). Bread pudding can be made up to 3 days ahead. For butterscotch sauce, stir sugar and 90ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, then bring to the boil and cook without stirring until dark caramel (4-5 mins). Remove from heat, carefully add 100ml water (hot caramel will spit), return to heat and stir in cream, butter and ½ tsp salt. Keep warm. Serve warm pudding topped with banana, a dollop of crème fraîche, and butterscotch sauce.