How to Make Bread and Butter Pudding the Right Way

Bread And Butter Pudding Delia

I've made Delia Smith's bread and butter pudding probably two dozen times over the years. It sounds like something you'd whip up on a Sunday afternoon when you're supposed to be doing something else. The recipe looks deceptively simple: stale bread, butter, raisins, custard, bake it. Anyone can follow the steps. Getting it right is another matter entirely. The first thing to understand is that Delia's method assumes your bread is properly stale. Fresh sandwich bread straight from the bag will turn into a porridge mess in the oven. I keep a loaf wrapped up on the counter for a day or two before using it, sometimes longer if the weather's damp. The slices should be dry enough to handle without squishing. When I first started making this, I rushed it and used day-old bread that still had some give to it. The result was a dense, soggy puddings that looked fine on top but had a wet layer at the bottom that no one wanted to touch.

The Method

Butter one side of each slice of white bread, preferably something with a good crumb structure like a proper Pullman loaf or a decent suburban bakery loaf. Don't skimp on the butter. Spread it right to the edges. Cut the slices in half diagonally. Layer them in a buttered baking dish, buttered side up, with raisins scattered between the layers. Some people throw in a bit of mixed peel or a squeeze of lemon zest. I usually skip that and keep it plain. For the custard, Delia specifies milk and eggs, optionally with a splash of cream. I've made it with both approaches and the difference is noticeable but not dramatic. The egg ratio matters more than anything else. Two eggs per pint of milk is about right. Whisk them well before adding the warm milk, and don't forget to season with a pinch of nutmeg and a small amount of sugar. Delia's original recipe calls for about two tablespoons of caster sugar per pint. You can go higher if you like it sweeter, but too much sugar burns easily on top. Pour the custard over the layered bread and let it sit for at least twenty minutes. This is the part most people skip and immediately regret. The bread needs time to soak through completely. If you put it in the oven right away, you'll end up with dry bread bits floating on top and liquid custard pooling at the bottom. Twenty minutes is the minimum. Thirty is better. Bake at 180C for about forty-five minutes until the top is golden and the custard is set. The test is simple: insert a knife near the center and it should come out clean, not coated in runny egg. If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil halfway through baking.

Things That Go Wrong

The most common problem is a wet, undercooked center. This happens when the baking dish is too deep or the custard ratio is off. A standard 20cm round dish holds the proportions Delia gives nicely. If you're using a deeper or larger dish, you need more custard and a longer bake time. I learned this the hard way when I used a rectangular casserole dish one weekend and spent an extra twenty minutes in the oven waiting for the center to set. The edges were already dry by then. Another issue people have is the top burning before the inside is cooked. This is usually an oven temperature problem. My oven runs hot, so I've learned to bake at 170C instead of the stated 180C. If you're unsure about your oven, use an infrared thermometer to check the actual temperature inside the cavity. A £15 oven thermometer makes a real difference over time.

A Few Practical Notes

Leftover bread is the ideal starting point. I make this specifically to use up bread that's past its prime for sandwiches. Any bread works, though brioche makes a richer version that's worth trying if you have the time. Don't use whole wheat or dense bread unless you want a completely different texture. The traditional version relies on light, airy white bread that drinks up the custard without fighting back. You can assemble this ahead of time and leave it in the fridge overnight before baking. The soak works even better when it has several hours to work through the bread. I do this often when I'm planning dinner and want to minimize last-minute work. Just take it out of the fridge about fifteen minutes before putting it in the oven, or adjust the bake time by five or ten minutes since the dish will be cold. Serve it warm, not hot. A jug of custard on the side is traditional but optional. Some people add a splash of brandy to the custard mix, which changes the flavor noticeably but isn't part of Delia's original recipe. I tend to keep it simple and let the bread and egg flavors speak for themselves. The recipe scales up easily for a dinner party. Double the quantities and use a larger dish, but expect the bake time to increase by roughly a third. Test for doneness with the knife method rather than trusting the clock alone. Ovens vary and dish depth affects cooking time more than people realize.