Old Fashioned Bread Pudding
Hi BBC2 here and I have been baking bread over the last week or so and ended up with three half loaves of bread going stale, doh! I decided to make a bread pudding so I popped the end of a leftover loaf in the freezer until I had enough left over bread to make the pudding. It’s a cheap and tasty way of using up leftover and/or stale bread for a pudding, that’s just as nice hot with custard or cold on a picnic, or in a lunchbox. BBC1 would say that it’s down to my being a cheapskate and too tight to throw anything away, and there maybe some truth in that about not throwing anything away, but I still like this as a pudding. Try it and see what you think and please do let us know.
Ingredients:
A large loaf of stale bread, or use a mixture of different breads, that you’ve saved by freezing leftovers.
500g/1lb mixed fruit (BBC1 doesn’t like mixed fruit so I use all sultanas)
100g/3 ½ oz suet
1 tablespoon mixed spice or to taste
6 tablespoons granulated white sugar plus 2 to 3 tablespoons for decoration
Method:
Cut the bread up into one inch squares and put into a large bowl cover with water and leave to soak for half an hour or so. While the bread soaks grease an ovenproof dish (approx’ 12″ x 8″/30cm x 20cm) with a little butter and preheat the oven 180c fan. You should also gather all the ingredients together ready to assemble the pudding (I find it’s a good idea to mix the mixed spice with 6 tablespoons of sugar beforehand) as you need to use your hand to ensure that the mixture is even. Now take your soaked bread and squeeze out the water, put the bread pulp into a bowl and discard the water. Now add the mixed fruit to the bread pulp and mix, then add the suet and the sugar spice mix and mix it all together. Transfer the mixture to your greased oven dish and loosely cover the top with tinfoil. Cook for 1 hr 15 minutes then remove the tinfoil and cook for 15 minutes more. It should be dark brown when cooked, remove from the oven allow to cool for 15 minutes or so then sprinkle with the 2/3 spoons of reserved sugar. Serve hot with custard, cream or ice-cream, or eat cold with a nice cup of tea. Hope you like it!
BBC1: What BBC2 neglected to say was that this was my mum’s recipe, that he stole from her years ago! Also, in terms of frugality and waste who made too much bread in the first place..? LOL😘
Seriously though wonderful reader, we would appreciate your feedback on this or any other part of our blog. We are trying to learn all the time…
British Blokes Cooking 
I’ve been trying to track down some version of this recipe for years, my mum made it when I was little but she used her dad’s recipe, the bread was soaked overnight in strong tea and then rung out as much as possible the next day. And cinnamon mixed with sugar to top. That’s the only family variation as far as I can tell.
Well that and it was served in hot crunchy little squares with butter.
Sounds lovely!
my mother always called it Scotsmans Wedding Cake. I remember her making it in WW2 and I still make it today 89 years later
This is the only recipe that works as it uses water and not milk. This recipe was made in war time to use up stale bead and of course milk was rationed hence the use of water. With a little sugar and the fruit it was a much loved sweet treat
Made this 3 times in the last 2 months its amazing
This is the recipe I was looking for my mum used to make this she never used milk it was always soaked in water thanks
This was my great aunties recipe she used to do every other week. My brothers sister love it, so now it’s nice to do it for my family. Thanks for bringing great memories back.
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I’ve been looking for a good bread pudding recipe for ages. This turned out just as I remember my mum’s tasting and other half was full of praise (and bread pudding now). Wants me to make more already! Really tasty. Thank you.
Well I found at last the bread pudding my mum use too make lost her recipe,and my old nan,but she used fresh suet used too grate it,she was a brill cook and so was all her girls,she had 11 children,when she made a stew,her pot was like a witches,but thanks again.
You’re welcome. Nothing better than old recipes!
My mum would make this years ago when I was at school. She called it NAFFI Wedding Cake and when it was cold she would spread jam over the top and then sprinkle with coconut. She was in the NAFFI during the war and ended up as a NAFFI manageress at a British Garrison in Germany after the war. Apparently quite a few soldiers married local girls and with food shortages and rationing this was made as the wedding cake hence it’s nickname. Tastes so good but I think she also put treacle in it as it was much browner. Just the thing when I got home from school after rugby practice!
I’ve use this recipe all the time but use butter instead of suet and it turns out great every time just like my mum used to make . Thank you
Thanks for recipe. I owned a village shop for 23 years and used up the leftover bread in bread pudding – I got a better price than the bread! Should be an expert but after 18 years forgot quantities and your’s was as I remember. Without suet it is too soft and egg makes it like sponge. (just got some rum soaked mixed fruit so trying that!!)
The bread never had all the preservatives it has today, so the bread really had to be eaten the day you bought it 😊. My mum used to make loads of bread pudding, it was a good tummy filler for my brothers and me.
This is almost the exact same receipe that my late mother-in-law passed down to me but she always added one egg to the mixture. Along with the mixed spice I always add a good spin of cinnamon too!
Used to make this for my children..I grew up with it too. Nan made it every weekend.
It is an old staple!
A bread pudding would not be a bread pudding without beef suet. My grandmother’s recipe called for nutmeg instead of mixed spice.
Just made this using a mix of wholemeal and white bread, raisins, currants and raisins and butter instead of suet. Delicious 😋. Thank you so much for the recipe.
You’re welcome!
The chaps in my choir group absolutely love this. My mum used to make it with suet too it makes it a real rib-sticker. Thanks for the recipe
You’re very welcome!
Hi guys , do you really need the suet ? Don’t recall this going in mum’s bread pudding but I wasn’t always around to watch out scrumping !!!!!
No. You can use whichever fat you like, butter, marge, vegetable shortening etc.
Just the job. I ‘ve been trying to find the recipe used by my gran and mum probably pre war. My father’s father loved it when in the RAF at West Malling. Thanks for publishing I distinctly remember soaking the bread I also remember soaking the mixed fruit. Off to give it a try.
Mark
Hope it works for you!
Exactly how my mother used to make it
I am going to try this😀
I lost my mums recipie and it looks the same
I am a cheapskate !!!
Hope it works for you!
Hi I’ve just made this recipe and it is fantastic thank you. Just like the one my mum made but sadly lost the recipe
Really pleased it worked for you!
That’s the way my mum made it only one difference she used stoke margarine not sure.
It’s a cheap tasty pudding.
Sure is. Our parents wasted nothing…
Thanks so much for this recipe 😊 It’s very similar to a recipe my mum gave to me before she passed. It’s a fond childhood memory too. We were an English family growing up in Australia so my mum had to often specify that hers was English bread pudding as apposed to bread n butter pudding which is big with Aussies 🙂
You are more than welcome and we are pleased it has brought back fond memories for you. I must say whenever we make it, it takes me straight back to being a child, the smell of it cooking and waiting for it cool down enough to eat! Thank you for your kind comment😊
The only one I know that uses mixed fruit if able. Well tasty though not like my grand xxx the best
Thank you.
My Grandmother made wonderful bread pudding when I was a child (many, many years ago). I have tried to find a recipe but they all seem to use butter & cream not suet. Have just found this so I’m off to the kitchen to try it.
Let us know how you get on?!
At last a proper bread pudding like my mother made without eggs and milk, just needed reminding, i added a little cinnamon as well delish!!
We are so pleased you liked it! Thanks for the feedback!
Having lived in the U.S. for 15 years niw their bread pudding is very different. I have been craving this cake and cannot wait to make it. It looks and sounds just like the one my mum used to make. I am lucky enough to have family send me Atora over which I use to make dumplings for my stew. Now to purchase bread to let go stale 🙂
Really hope it works fir you! Let us know how you get on? Thanks.
I was looking for a good bread pudding recipe and this is amazing and cheap! Followed your instructions to the letter (also used sultanas as not a fan of dried mixed fruit) and worked perfectly. Made a big glass roasting dish full and everyone loved it. Anyone looking for one like Tesco used to make years ago will love this. Will definitely be a regular in our house ☺.
Thanks. Glad you like it!
Rubbish recipe – followed it diligently and it stayed as a watery pulp throughout – found out after that recipe supposed to have eggs in it to bind the mixture
Wasted a load of ingredients thanks to this!!!!!!
Can only say sorry. But this recipe works for us and the other people who have tried it. I think maybe you omitted to squeeze all of the liquid from the bread. Cannot think of any other reason because we have never used eggs in this recipe…
Hi Colin,
Did you soak the bread long enough, I don’t even squeeze out the liquid as the bread and fruit mix usually soak it all up. Also I find slow cooking is the best usually 140 degrees for 2 hours until crunchy on top. Please try it again it will be worth it and please no eggs !
OMG I have been searching for this bread recipe for 30+ years. I used to make it way back in the 80’s in Ireland but lost it through many house moves. Delighted to have found it again so I am off to make it now and see if I can convert the Aussie family to try it.. Thank you so much. 😉💚🍀
Pleased you like the recipe and hope it works for you and your family! Thanks