It is essentially a bread pudding, however, there are some noteworthy differences between the cake-like, soufflé-rising bread pudding and bread and butter pudding. For most part, they both have the same ingredients but how they are prepared before baking is different, and then there is the obvious difference in appearance. Taste wise, it comes down to texture. I’ll explain as we go along.
As you know, bread pudding is essentially bread (often more than a day old), mixed with a rich custard and baked in the oven. It is one of the easiest desserts to make and an excellent way to use up leftover bread. The addition of dried fruit and spices means that this is the type of pudding laden with comfort. Drizzle it with custard or some type of alcohol-laced sauce and it’s on lick-the-spoon level.
The other day I made a pumpkin raisin loaf bread and had half a loaf left back. It was a no-brainer that I would make bread pudding to give to a friend of mine who is obsessed with bread pudding. However, I did not want the “work” (which is mainly the down time of having the bread soak in the custard) involved in the making of my bread pudding. Here’s the thing. The key to excellent bread pudding is allowing the cubes of cut bread to soak for a long time in a rich, sweet creamy custard so that it absorbs the custard. Overnight is best. A rookie mistake a lot of people make is to not let the bread soak long enough, therefore, when the pudding is baked and you cut into it, you can see dry pieces of the bread. This is what really gave rise to bread pudding being served, drizzled with cremes, custard and sauces.
I set about making a bread and butter pudding. This was easy. Simply butter slices of bread, cut them diagonally and assemble in a buttered dish. Whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, spices and essence, pour over the buttered bread, let soak for 30 minutes and bake until the top is golden with a toasted crust. It is that easy.
I had seen a recipe for bread and butter pudding where marmalade was spread on top of the butter and I thought, why not, so I did the same with my bread and butter pudding. I did not have to add any dried fruit because it (raisins) was already baked into the bread, but I added some raisins. The deep yellow from the pumpkin in the bread brought added richness and appeal to the pudding. My friend dropped by to pick up the pudding and proceeded to cut it and have a piece before taking it to her family. I told you she is obsessed. She gave me a piece to taste and I have to say, it was damn delicious.
I have since formed the opinion that bread and butter pudding is better suited to enriched breads or bread rolls, in other words, yeasted breads with fruits such as raisin loaves, cross buns, Panettone to name a few. These special types of breads/rolls bring another level of richness in all aspects of a bread and butter pudding. It is also a plus when you are able to smear the slices with jam or jelly. Makes for a wonderful celebration dessert.
Don’t get me wrong, bread and butter pudding made with white bread is lovely. You easily get to taste the buttery goodness and the fruits plump up in the custard. Another thing that is different about bread and butter pudding is that as the butter melts during the cooking process, it toasts and forms a crust that makes for a pleasing texture contrast. The top is toasty with a crust and the bottom soft and creamy.
Try making a bread and butter pudding the next time you are thinking of making bread pudding.
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
