Bread and Butter Pudding: 1 Cozy British Dessert Americans Are Suddenly Searching For, and How It Differs From Bread Pudding

Bread and butter pudding is the cozy British dessert Americans suddenly want to know about. Nigella Lawson took over from Prue Leith as a judge on The Great British Bake Off this year, and since the new season reached US viewers on Netflix as The Great British Baking Show, searches like “bread pudding vs bread and butter pudding” have shot up on Google. So, are they the same thing? Not quite. Here is the plain answer, and one easy, foolproof recipe that turns stale bread into the softest, creamiest winter dessert you will make all season..

Bread Pudding vs Bread and Butter Pudding: The Real Difference

Both desserts start with old bread and a sweet egg custard, and both are baked until the custard sets. The difference is in how the bread goes into the dish.

• American bread pudding: the bread is torn or cut into cubes, soaked in custard, then baked. It comes out thick, spoonable and cake-like, often with a sweet sauce on top.
• British bread and butter pudding: whole slices are buttered first, cut into triangles and layered in the dish like roof shingles. The custard is poured over, so the middle stays soft and wobbly while the buttered corners on top turn crisp and golden.
• The flavor: bread and butter pudding tastes richer and more buttery, with a crunchy sugar top, while bread pudding is softer all the way through.

There is also a British “bread pudding” that is different again: a dense, spiced, fruity slab cut into squares and eaten cold, a bit like fruitcake. No wonder so many people are confused. As TV Insider reported, the new Bake Off series with Nigella has a big US audience on Netflix, and pudding talk on the show sends people straight to their search bars.

Ingredients for Bread and Butter Pudding

This makes one 2-quart dish, enough for 6 people. Day-old bread works best because it soaks up the custard without falling apart.

• 8 to 10 slices day-old white sandwich bread, brioche or challah (crusts on or off)
• 4 tbsp soft unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup raisins or golden raisins (optional; chocolate chips or dried cranberries work too)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus 2 tbsp for the top
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg or cinnamon, and a pinch of salt

How to Make Bread and Butter Pudding, Step by Step

1. Butter the bread. Spread butter on one side of every slice, all the way to the edges. Use a little extra butter to grease the baking dish. Cut each slice into two triangles.
2. Layer like shingles. Stand the triangles in the dish, buttered side up, overlapping like roof tiles. Scatter the raisins or chips between the layers as you go, not on top, where they burn.
3. Make the custard. Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and salt until smooth.
4. Pour and rest. Pour the custard slowly over the bread and press the slices down gently. Let it soak for 20 to 30 minutes. This rest is the secret to a creamy middle.
5. Bake. Heat the oven to 350 F. Sprinkle the 2 tbsp sugar over the top and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is puffed and golden and the center only wobbles a little. For an extra silky custard, set the dish in a larger pan with 1 inch of hot water.
6. Rest and serve. Let it sit 10 minutes, then spoon it into bowls, warm.

Love warm, spoonable desserts? Try one of our bread pudding and cozy baked pudding recipes next.

Quick Vanilla Sauce, Twists and Holiday Ideas

In Britain, bread and butter pudding comes with custard or a splash of cold cream. For a quick vanilla pouring sauce, heat 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup cream until steaming. Whisk 3 egg yolks with 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cornstarch, slowly whisk in the hot milk, then stir it all back in the pan over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla. Never let it boil.

• Marmalade: spread a thin layer of orange marmalade on the buttered bread for a classic British twist.
• Chocolate: swap the raisins for dark chocolate chips and add 2 tbsp cocoa to the custard.
• Christmas: use leftover holiday sweet bread or brioche with dried cranberries and orange zest.
• Thanksgiving: whisk 1/2 cup pumpkin puree and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice into the custard.

Make-Ahead Tips and Mistakes to Avoid

You can assemble the whole dish the night before, cover it and keep it in the fridge. Bake it straight from the fridge and add 5 to 10 minutes. Leftovers keep 3 days covered in the fridge; warm squares in the microwave or for a few minutes in the air fryer, which crisps the top again.

• Corners sticking up too far: they burn before the custard sets. Press them down or cover the dish loosely with foil if they brown too fast.
• Skipping the soak: the bread stays dry inside and the custard pools at the bottom.
• Overbaking: the custard turns grainy, like scrambled eggs. Take it out when the center still has a slight wobble.
• Fresh bread: it turns mushy. Leave fresh slices out for a few hours, or dry them in a low oven for 10 minutes.

And What Is Queen of Puddings?

It is the other British dessert Americans are searching for this week. Queen of puddings starts with fresh breadcrumbs soaked in a lemony custard and baked until set. Then a layer of warm raspberry jam is spread on top, and the whole thing is crowned with soft meringue and baked again until golden. Think of it as bread pudding dressed up for a party.

So, bread pudding or bread and butter pudding: which team are you on? Make this bread and butter pudding once with a pot of vanilla sauce, and it may become your new winter Sunday tradition.