bread recipes

Bread and butter pudding

Leave a Comment / bread /

This was one of the first recipes I wrote on this blog, way back when I started in September 2009. I think this might be a reflection of how much I love bread and butter pudding. It is a fantastic way to use up that staling loaf. With my bread courses I tend to have quite a bit of bread staling on the bread board so I am always thinking up new ways to use leftover bread.

There is lots of potential for varying this recipe. You can spread jam or marmalade on the slices or add some frozen (or fresh) berries or chocolate chunks instead of the dried fruit, but this is the recipe that I used to love as a child. You don’t need to be precise about the amount of bread you use, this recipe is all about using whatever you have leftover. If you use more or less than in this recipe then you may need to add or take away an egg in the custard. I have made bread pudding with left over croissants, brioche, fruit bread, walnut bread – basically any bread that you may have left over.

Ingredients

6-7 slices of stale bread
Approx 50g softened butter
3-4 tablespoons of light brown sugar
50-100g dried fruit (depending on how much you like in your pudding)
3 large eggs
500ml full fat milk

You will need an oven proof dish that will comfortably hold the slices of bread with room for the custard.

Method

Butter the slices of bread generously with butter. Lay half the slices in the ovenproof dish. Sprinkle two tablespoons of sugar and the dried fruit over the bread. Top with the remaining slices of bread. Beat the eggs and milk together in a jug. Pour the custard over the bread. Sprinkle more sugar over the top of the pudding.

Allow the pudding to sit for at least 30 minutes so that the custard can soak into the bread.

Preheat the oven to 180C, 350f, gas mark 4. Bake the pudding for 30-40 minutes until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.

Ready to learn more?

I have an online course that shows you other ways to use up your leftover bread. So, if you are as obsessed with bread as I am and end up with a staling loaf at the same time as you are fetching a fresh loaf out of the oven then this might be the course for you.

Using up left over bread online course

Bread and butter pudding Read More »

Date & Walnut Loaf

Leave a Comment / bread /

This is a favourite in our house and a recipe that I teach on my Bread Basics course at my cookery school Veg Patch Kitchen. I have been filming how to make it for my new online Sweet Dough course and want to share it with you so that it can become a favourite in your household too.

It is a simple white dough with added dates, walnuts and honey and is delicious toasted for breakfast. It stays good for toasting for several day.

date and walnut loaf
Date & walnut loaf

Ingredients

500g strong white flour or 250g white bread flour and 250g wholemeal bread flour
100g walnuts
100g dates
20g runny honey
10g salt
1 sachet of easy bake yeast or 5-10g fresh yeast
320-340g water (in total, add 100g with the dates and 220-240g later)

Equipment:

3 bowls, scales, knife, chopping board, proving cloth or shower cap, loaf tin or baking tray, cooling rack

Method: 

Finely chop 25g of the walnuts and coarsely chop the rest. Chop the dates and cover with 100g of boiling water. Leave to stand until the water is tepid. 

Place the flour, salt and yeast (keep the salt and yeast separate) in a large bowl. If using fresh yeast crumble it into the flour.  Add the walnuts and honey.  Drain the dates but reserve the soaking water. Place the soaked dates in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.  Measure the reserved water into the bowl and then add more water until you have 320g of water in the bowl.  

Using a clawed hand mix well, the dough should be on the sticky side. If it still feels dry add a bit more water until it feels softly sticky.  Leave to rest and use the stretch and fold method as described in this video. 

Once you have done all of the stretch and folds, leave to prove until light and airy. Preheat your oven to 200℃, gas mark 6, placing a solid tray on the shelf to heat up.  Tip the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface, shape and leave to rise again until ready for the oven. Place your bread onto the solid tray and bake for 30-40 minutes until a rich brown and sounds hollow when tapped or has an internal temperature of at least 88℃. Leave to cool on a wire tray.

If you like you can glaze this loaf with a simple sugar syrup as soon as it comes out of the oven. This gives it a lovely shine. Place 25g sugar and 25g water in a small pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes. Brush this all over the top of the loaf as soon as you turn it onto the cooling rack. (You may want to place some kitchen roll or baking parchment underneath to catch the drips). 

Ready to learn more?

If you would like to learn more about making sweet breads my online course can help. I show you how to master making an enriched dough and turn it into Shropshire butter buns, Chelsea buns, babka and cinnamon knots. You will also learn how to make buttery brioche and fruity spiced teacakes.

Find out more about my online bread courses

Date & Walnut Loaf Read More »