Bread and Butter Pudding

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 12 thick slices sourdough bread, crusts removed
• 90g butter, at room temperature
• 90g (1/2 cup) sultanas
• 80g (1/2 cup lightly packed) brown sugar
• 6 eggs
• 500ml (2 cups) milk
• 1 x 300ml ctn pouring cream
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• Icing sugar, to dust
• Vanilla ice-cream, to serve

Method

1. Spread both sides of the bread lightly with butter. Cut each slice into 4 triangles.
2. Arrange half the bread over the base of a 3L (12-cup) capacity ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with half the sultanas and half the sugar. Arrange the remaining bread on top. Sprinkle with the remaining sultanas and remaining sugar, reserving 1 tablespoon of sugar.
3. Preheat oven to 180°C. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon in a large jug. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Press down gently to cover the bread completely. Set aside for 20 minutes to stand.
4. Sprinkle the pudding with reserved sugar. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until golden and set. Set aside for 20 minutes to cool. Dust with icing sugar. Serve with ice-cream.

Notes

• 
  Variation: For Rum 'n' raisin bread & butter pudding, replace the sultanas with raisins. Add 2 tbs rum to the egg mixture in step 3. Dust with cocoa powder instead of icing sugar.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 300ml pure cream
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 8 thick slices white bread, crusts removed
• 40g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 5cm-deep, 17cm x 28cm (base) baking dish. Whisk eggs, milk, cream, caster sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a bowl.
2. Spread both sides of each bread slice with butter. Cut each slice in half diagonally. Arrange half the bread in rows in prepared dish. Sprinkle with half the sultanas. Repeat with remaining bread and sultanas.
3. Pour egg mixture over bread. Sprinkle with demerara sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and set. Serve.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 6 slices cafe-style fruit bread, crusts removed
• 50g butter, softened
• 1/3 cup (115g) orange marmalade
• 6 eggs, lightly whisked
• 1 cup (250ml) milk
• 1/2 cup (125ml) thin cream
• 1/2 cup (100g) caster sugar
• 2 tbs Grand Marnier

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Place bread on a clean surface. Spread evenly with butter and marmalade. Cut each slice into 4 triangles. Arrange, buttered-side up, in an 8-cup (2 litre) capacity ovenproof dish.
2. Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, sugar and Grand Marnier together in a large bowl. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug. Pour evenly over bread slices. Set aside for 15 minutes to soak.
3. Place the dish into a large roasting pan. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the dish. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until custard is just set. Remove from oven. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• Melted butter, to grease
• 60g (1/3 cup) sultanas
• 60mls (1/4 cup) rum
• 70g butter, at room temperature
• 10 slices thick toast bread
• 4 eggs
• 310mls (1 1/4 cups) milk
• 300mls thin cream
• 5 tbs brown sugar
• Vanilla ice-cream or thick cream, to serve

Method

1. Brush a 1-litre (4-cup) round ovenproof dish with the melted butter to grease.
2. Combine the sultanas and rum in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium- high heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover and set aside.
3. Spread the butter over both sides of the bread slices. Remove the crusts and cut each slice into 4 triangles. Set aside.
4. Use a hand whisk to whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the milk and cream and whisk until well combined. Drain the sultanas and add any remaining rum to the egg mixture.
5. Layer 1/2 of the bread triangles evenly over the base of the greased dish to fit tightly. Sprinkle with 1/2 the sultanas and 2 tbs of the brown sugar. Repeat with another layer of bread, sultanas and 2 tbs of the brown sugar.
6. Arrange the remaining bread triangles in a circular pattern on top.
7. Strain the egg mixture into a large measuring jug. Pour 500mls (2 cups) of the egg mixture over the bread. Allow to stand for 30 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
8. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 160°C. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread and sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the pudding is just set and the top is crisp and golden.
9. Stand for 15 minutes before serving. Serve with ice-cream or thick cream.