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The Best bread and Butter Pudding

Italian Dessert

A great variation on custard and good way to use up stale bread while creating a different kind of pudding with a spongy texture and custard cream.

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 medium slices of white bread
  • 2 oz butter – unsalted, room temp
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 6 oz caster sugar
  • vanilla extract – to taste
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup double cream
  • 1 oz raisins or currants

METHOD

  1. Grease a 2 Quart deep baking or soufflé dish – Preheat oven to  350º.
  2. Butter the bread, remove all the crust and cut each slice in half diagonally so that you have triangle.Italian Dessert
  3. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together in a bowl.Italian DessertItalian DessertItalian Dessert
  4. Add vanilla extract to the milk and cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.Italian Dinner
  5. Slowly add to the egg yolks, stirring constantly all the time as you don’t want to cook the yolks.
  6. Arrange the bread in layers in the prepared pan, sprinkling the currants in between each layer. Italian Dinner
  7. Finish the final layer with bread only.
  8. Pour the warm egg mixture over the bread and allow to soak in for about 15-20 minutes.
  9. Have oven preheated to 350º and when the bread has finished soaking place the dish in a larger casserole dish that has been filled ¾ of the way with hot water.
  10. Lightly cover the pudding with a buttered piece of foil, place in the oven and cook for about 25-30 minutes until the pudding begins to set. The finished pudding will look like a custard and only thickens. It should not get hard or solid.
  11. When ready, remove from the water, remove the foil and sprinkle liberally with caster sugar to cover the entire top of the pudding and place under the broiler on medium heat.
  12. The sugar will dissolve and caramelize. Watch carefully so that it doesn’t burn. Although it will look a little burnt as it crystalizes. Italian Dessert
  13. The pudding is now ready to serve. 
  14. The first spoonful will allow the custard to come seeping out from between the bread slices.
  15. A little grated nutmeg on top and you have a delicious bread pudding.
  16. Note: Save the egg whites to make Francesca’s Sugar Sticks which is in my cookbook Basta Pasta, Ancora. There are enough egg whites to make a double batch to freeze and have on hand for company.

Buon Mangiata!

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