Bread & butter pudding

This is the ultimate pudding if you have a combi oven as it really is quicker without the need for a water bath, just pop it into the oven on Combination mode and in just under an hour you have the perfect bread and butter pudding.  This is almost half  the cooking time than a conventional oven.  Amazing!

This version is also little quicker to whip together by using buttered raisin bread.  There are other versions you can do with this standard custard base.  Brioche is delicious, as is Panettoni or an artisan fruit loaf.  Another option includes spreading with marmalade after the butter but I prefer just a dusting of sugar.  If you use marmalade just spread some on the middle layer of bread and cover with more buttered slices.  This will stop it burning on the top.  If your using plain bread then sprinkle with a few sultanas over each layer.  Also delicious with dark chocolate chips!

This is a smaller recipe to serve four.  For six serves and a bigger pudding increase the eggs to 5, sugar to ½ cup and milk to 3½ cups.  Cooking time would be approximately a further 10 minutes.

Ingredients:  Serves 4

6-8 slices raisin bread or fruit loaf, buttered
3 eggs depending on their size
¼ cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
Sugar to sprinkle over

Method:

1. Grease a shallow, ovenproof dish with butter.  The pic shows my small Le Creuset 8cm x 26cm.
2. Cut the bread if necessary and place tightly in the base of the dish with the buttered side down.
3. Add another layer with the buttered side up.  It should be tight – no gaps so cut your bread the way you need to make it fit.  You should have at least three layers.
4. Beat the eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla together.
5. Pour over bread, pushing down so that it sinks in the custard.
6. Sprinkle with sugar.
7. Bake on Combination mode 160°C + 80% steam for 50 minutes.  It will come out of the oven puffed but will drop.  This is normal.

Serve warm with fresh cream 🙂