Delia Smith Bread And Butter Pudding​ Recipe

Delia Smith’s bread and butter pudding uses candied peel and currants, not just raisins and cream like most modern versions. Buttered white bread, a light egg custard with lemon zest and nutmeg, baked at 180°C (350°F) for 30 to 40 minutes, serving 6.

Most recipes online skip the candied peel and double the cream. Delia’s version in the Complete Cookery Course keeps the cream modest and lets the citrus do the work.

I have made both kinds, and hers has a sharpness that stops it tasting like sweet wet bread. That is what makes this an old fashioned bread and butter pudding.

Try More Pudding Recipes:

• All Pudding Recipes
• Sticky Toffee Pudding
• Eve’s Pudding
• Rice Pudding

Why Candied Peel and Not Just Lemon Zest?

The candied peel gives you a hit of citrus that lasts through the baking, which fresh zest alone cannot do. Fresh zest fades in the heat, but candied peel holds its flavour and adds tiny chewy pockets of sweetness between the bread layers.

Delia uses whole candied lemon or orange peel, chopped finely, not the mixed peel from a tub which is often dry and tasteless.

The currants work the same way. They are smaller and sharper than sultanas or raisins, so they spread evenly and burst with a tartness that cuts through the egg custard.

I tried sultanas once and they were too big and too sweet. Currants sit between the bread layers without taking over, which is exactly what Delia intended.

Bread and Butter Pudding Ingredients

• 8 slices white bread (from a small loaf), buttered on one side
• 10g (½ oz) whole candied lemon or orange peel, finely chopped
• 50g (2 oz) currants
• 275ml (10 fl oz) whole milk
• 60ml (2½ fl oz) double cream (heavy cream)
• 50g (2 oz) golden caster sugar (superfine sugar)
• Grated zest of ½ small lemon
• 3 large eggs
• Whole nutmeg, for grating
• Butter for greasing the dish

How To Make Delia Smith Bread and Butter Pudding

1. Heat the oven: Set to 180°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4 / 350°F). Rub butter generously around the inside of a rectangular baking dish, about 18 x 23cm (7 x 9 in).
2. Cut the bread: Cut each buttered slice in half, then into quarters. Leave the crusts on because they go crisp at the edges where they stick out above the custard.
3. First layer: Lay half the bread quarters across the bottom of the dish, buttered side up, overlapping slightly so there are no gaps.
4. Add the fruit: Scatter the chopped candied peel and half the currants over the bread.
5. Second layer: Cover with the rest of the bread, buttered side up. Scatter the remaining currants over the top.
6. Make the custard: In a jug, whisk together the milk, double cream, golden caster sugar, and lemon zest. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, then pour them into the milk mixture and whisk until smooth.
7. Pour and grate: Pour the custard slowly over the bread, making sure every slice gets covered. Grate a good amount of fresh nutmeg over the surface. The nutmeg forms part of the golden crust as it bakes.
8. Bake: Put the dish on the middle shelf and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the custard is set and the top is golden brown and slightly puffed. It should still have a gentle wobble in the centre when you shake the dish.
9. Rest and serve: Leave for 5 minutes before spooning out. The custard finishes setting during this time. Serve warm with cold pouring cream or crème fraîche.

Why Does Delia Use So Little Cream?

Only 60ml of double cream goes into this custard, which is much less than most modern recipes use. Too much cream makes the custard heavy in a way that hides everything else.

With less cream and more milk, you can actually taste the lemon, the nutmeg, and the sharpness of the currants. The eggs do the thickening work instead.

The chocolate bread and butter pudding uses 425ml of double cream and rum with no fruit at all. This one is sharp and light, that one is dark and heavy.

The Crust and Bread Question

Delia leaves the crusts on, and I do the same now. The pieces that stick up above the custard go crisp and golden while the parts underneath stay soft and custardy.

Cutting them off gives you a uniform texture, which sounds nice but is actually boring. The mix of crisp and soft is the whole point.

Use a cheap white sliced loaf, not sourdough or anything with a thick crust. Day-old bread is better than fresh because it is drier and soaks up the custard faster.

If all you have is fresh bread, leave the slices out on the counter for an hour before you start and they will dry out enough.

Keeping It for Later

It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered with cling film (plastic wrap). Warm up portions in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, or put the whole dish in the oven at 160°C (320°F) for 15 minutes with a splash of milk to stop the top drying out.

Freezing is not worth it. The custard splits and goes watery when you thaw it, and the bread turns to mush.

If you want to prepare it ahead, assemble everything the night before and keep it in the fridge uncooked. Take it out 20 minutes before baking so it comes to room temperature, and the longer overnight soak actually gives a better result.

FAQs

More Recipes To Try:

• Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
• Summer Fruit Pudding
• Apple and Almond Pudding
• Bread Pudding

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 330 kcal
• Fat: 17g
• Carbohydrates: 35g
• Protein: 7g
• Dietary Fibre: 1g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving (serves 6).