Bread and butter pudding

Bread and butter pudding

Bread and butter pudding and custard
Alternative names	Whitepot
Type	Pudding
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Main ingredients	Buttered bread, raisins, egg, milk or cream, nutmeg
Media: Bread and butter pudding

Bread and butter pudding is made by layering slices of buttered bread scattered with raisins in an oven dish into which an egg and milk (or cream) mixture, commonly seasoned with nutmeg (and sometimes vanilla or other spices), is poured. It is common in the United Kingdom.

Instructions

It is then baked in an oven and served. Some people may serve it with custard or cream, but often the pudding under the crust is moist enough to be eaten without sauce. It is traditional to use stale bread, but old croissants can be used instead. Although the pudding is most often associated with childhood and school dinners, in some recipes a measure of beer may be added for a more grown-up touch of luxury. Perhaps in reference to the 'school dinner' theme however, sometimes raspberry, strawberry, blackberry or mixed fruit jam, marmalade or other sweet preserves will be spread upon the bread, along with the butter, making for a sweet yet truly childhood reminiscent dessert. Other modern variations include scattering fresh or dried grapes between the layers of bread, melting apples into the egg-milk mixture, and using unusual types of breads — such as brioche — to make it. Lemon or orange peel will add a characteristic flavour.

History

The earliest bread and butter puddings were called whitepot and used either bone marrow or butter. Whitepots could also be made using rice instead of bread, giving rise to the rice pudding in British cuisine. One of the earliest recipes for a bread and butter pudding was written down by John Nott in 1723.

See also

• Bread pudding

External links

• A classic 1950s English version of the recipe
• Bread and Butter pudding recipe