Bread and butter pudding

Your cut-out-and-keep guide to the fundamentals of cooking

Agood bread and butter pudding, with its crispy crust and gooey heart, has a rich creaminess that reminds us of childhood days.

It’s pure soul food, which you can vary according to the seasons, with whatever fruit is available. But it’s also a handy dessert, because all of us generally have some stale bread lying around.

In my opinion, stale bread gives the best flavour, because it can absorb the richness of the butter and cream better than fresh bread.

Sandwich bread is ideal, but make sure the slices aren’t too thin, otherwise it will dissolve in the cooking and you will lose the nice thick layers.

I also like brioche bread for this pudding — but don’t butter brioche, as it has enough in it already.

This is not a complicated dessert, but the custard needs time, and don’t rush the baking. If you do, you will lose that crisp top, and end up with a very soggy result.

By pouring three-quarters of the custard over the bread and then allowing it to rest before adding the rest, you ensure a nice gooey base, and also a nice crispy top.

If you’re using brioche, try layering the bottom of the dish with slices of pan-fried apples, scattered with rumsoaked sultanas.