Bread Pudding

Introduction & method

Versions of bread pudding can be found all over the world. After all, everybody has bread and everybody needs things to do with the leftovers. Bread pudding is not the same as bread and butter pudding - that's slices of bread baked in an egg custard. Bread pudding has more of a cakey texture. There's a couple of similar variations in the UK - Nelson Cake (after the town in Lancashire), and the Wet Nelly from Liverpool.

Mix it Up

Rip the bread into small chunks and throw into a large mixing bowl with the mixed peel, mixed spice and the dried fruit. Add the milk and squish everything through your fingers to get it all mixed. Beat the eggs together and add them along with the muscovado sugar and lemon zest. Give it a good stir and leave for 15 minutes to soak.

About Mixed Spice

Mixed spice is a blend of cinnamon, coriander, caraway seed, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Christmas, basically.

Bake It

Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F) for a fan/convection oven, 180°C (356°F) conventional, gas 4. Line a 20cm (8inch) square baking tin with greaseproof paper. Melt the butter and stir it into the pudding mix, then pour it into the tin. Level the top and sprinkle with demerara sugar - this will give it a bit of a crunch. Bake it for 90 minutes. Cover the top with foil if it's starting to brown too much. Serve warm with ice cream or custard, or have it cold with a cup of tea.