There’s nothing quite like home baking. Ever since I was little, one of my favourite treats has been my Nan’s bread pudding. Having tweaked the secret recipe over the years until it was perfect, this bake is a firm favourite in my family. It’s soft and gooey, thanks to the moisture from the soaked bread, yet gets warmth from the currents and mixed spice; it tastes like Christmas (if that’s a thing). This can be made as a tray bake, then cut into chunks and eaten/stored in the fridge/frozen. This recipe makes about 20-25 squares, so plenty to share around!
Ingredients
450g white bread
55g self-raising flour (can use plain)
225g margarine
225g brown/ caster sugar (brown adds to the taste, but it’s not essential- you can use caster)
115g sultanas
115g currents
1 1/2 tablespoons mixed spice
- Preheat the oven to 180 centigrade. Roughly rip the bread up (in half etc) and soak in water in a colander so it’s easier to drain. Once fully drained, place the mushy bread ball (eww!) into a large mixing bowl.
- Add all the dry ingredients (sieving the flour in), and mix well. Melt the margarine, then add to the mixing bowl. Make sure the mixture is combined well.
- Grease and line a large dish, then press the mixture in. Make sure you get the mixture into the corners, and that it is evenly spread. Sprinkle a bit of sugar over the top, then bake in the oven for between 30 and 40 minutes, or until it looks nicely golden brown.
- Leave to cool , then sprinkle on some more sugar before cutting the bake into medium sized squares. Serve or keep in the fridge to make them last longer. You can freeze this bread pudding, but as I have not tried this I don’t know whether or how it effects the taste. If you’re making this as a pudding, simply heat in the microwave and serve with custard or ice cream.
