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British Irish

English Bread and Butter Pudding

A classic English bread and butter pudding with buttered bread, raisins, nutmeg, and baked egg custard.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 1 September 2026Updated

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English Bread and Butter Pudding

1 hrtotal

50 min hands-on10 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 35 min

Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
None
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 4 servings.

You'll need: Oven.

The assembled pudding rests for about 10 minutes so the bread absorbs the custard before baking.

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 170°C and grease a small baking dish with some of the measured butter.

  2. Butter the bread slices, cut them into triangles, and arrange them in the dish with raisins between the layers.

  3. Whisk the eggs, warm milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg into a smooth custard.

  4. Pour the custard evenly over the bread and press the bread gently so it soaks well.

  5. Rest for about 10 minutes, then sprinkle a little sugar on top.

    10 min

  6. Bake until the custard is just set, the top is golden, and the edges are lightly crisp.

  7. Serve warm so the centre stays soft and custardy.

How to tell it's done

The pudding should be golden on top, softly set in the middle, and moist rather than dry.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 4 servings.

389kcal

Where the calories come from

  • Protein9.4 g9%
  • Carbohydrate44.9 g46%
  • Fat19.6 g45%
Sugars
24.6 g
Saturated fat
11.1 g
Fibre
1.5 g
Sodium
345 mg
Potassium
251 mg
Calcium
162 mg
Iron
2.1 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

Let the bread soak before baking; dry bread corners can burn before the custard sets.

What to serve it with

Serve warm with custard, cream, or a simple cup of tea.

Common mistakes

The custard scrambles.
Keep the oven moderate and take it out while the middle still has a slight wobble. Baked too hot or too long, an egg custard curdles and weeps water around the bread.
The bread stays dry on top.
Press it down into the custard and let it soak the full ten minutes before baking. The exposed tips should be buttered so they crisp, but the rest needs to be genuinely soaked.

Substitutions

  • Use Brown Bread instead of White Bread for a deeper flavour, but the texture will be less delicate.
  • Use Raisins as listed; sultanas also work if already available in your pantry.
  • Use Whipping Cream instead of Heavy Whipping Cream if needed, but the custard may be slightly lighter.

Storing and reheating

Keeps three days in the fridge and is good cold or gently rewarmed in a low oven. It does not freeze — the custard separates. Day-old bread makes a better pudding than fresh, so the staleness is a feature.