Brioche takes the place of plain bread in this Hairy Bikers bread and butter pudding, and raspberries with orange zest lift it further. British Classics serves six from one dish at about 760 calories, in around 90 minutes.
“We think this is one of the all-time great British puds,” the book says, “and we’re pretty proud of this version.” Their pride shows in the details, because some raspberries get crushed into a jammy layer while others stay whole on top.
Patience makes or breaks the custard, since the pudding stands for half an hour before the oven. That soak lets the brioche drink the cream and egg mixture through, so the inside sets soft instead of dry.
Hairy Bikers Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe
Description
Layers of buttered brioche and fresh raspberries under a rich orange custard, which the book calls really easy to make. The crunchy demerara top finishes it, and a splash of raspberry liqueur is optional either way.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Layer the brioche: Butter a shallow ovenproof dish, then butter the brioche slices and cut them in half on the diagonal. Arrange a layer of slices in the dish, buttered-side up.
- Add the raspberries: Crush 100g of the raspberries lightly with the Framboise, if using, and 2 tablespoons of the caster sugar. Spoon this over the brioche with a few whole berries, then top with the remaining slices and tuck the rest of the raspberries between and on top.
- Pour the custard: Whisk the rest of the sugar with the eggs, then add the milk, cream and orange zest. Pour this evenly over the brioche and raspberries, so every slice gets soaked.
- Let it stand: Leave the pudding for about half an hour while the custard sinks in, then preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4.
- Bake: Dot the top with a few knobs of butter and sprinkle over the demerara sugar. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until well set and golden-brown in places.
- Serve: Eat it hot from the dish, or let it cool completely, because the book rates it both ways.
FAQs
Can I use ordinary bread instead of brioche?
Yes, and their Elvis version proves it, because that one uses a plain white sandwich loaf. Ordinary bread just gives a plainer pudding, since brioche carries butter and egg in the slice itself.
Whatever bread you choose, keep the buttered side facing up. That is the surface that toasts golden in the oven, which gives the pudding its crisp top against the soft inside.
Which of their puddings uses panettone?
Two of them, so Christmas leftovers have a home here. Their sherry pudding heats 100g of raisins in 100ml of Pedro Ximénez until nearly boiling, so the fruit drinks up the sherry. Those raisins then layer with six slices of brioche or plain panettone, orange zest and cinnamon, under a lighter custard than this recipe uses.
The book calls its other one a “special festive version”, spreading eight slices of panettone with 100g of mincemeat, a spoonful of whisky and 50g of orange curd. It adds that if panettone is still hanging about by Easter, this is the way to use it up.
How do they make the Elvis bread and butter pudding?
Everyday Winners builds a tribute to the king from two of his favourite things, bananas and chocolate. Sliced bananas, 50g of chocolate chips and lime zest layer between the bread, then 25ml of rum goes into the custard.
The book suggests adding peanut butter if you really want to go over the top, which Elvis surely would have. If ripe bananas are what you are trying to use up, their banana bread takes three in one loaf.
Which version appears in Mums Know Best?
That one is not made with bread at all, because it uses slices of buttered bara brith, the Welsh tea loaf. The fruited slices sit in custard, get a demerara topping, and bake for about 30 minutes before meeting a rum sauce.
The book note says not to worry when the custard looks like too much, since the bara brith soaks it all up. If you fancy making the loaf itself first, their bara brith recipe is the place to start.
Why does the pudding stand for half an hour before baking?
Because dry brioche floats and fights the custard, while soaked brioche holds it. The stand gives the egg mixture time to reach the middle of every slice, so the baked pudding cuts soft all the way through rather than dry in the centre.
Their other versions guard the same soak differently, pouring the custard slowly and steadily so the slices never lift out of place. Either way, the waiting is where the texture is made.
