What you'll find below:

• What makes a good bread and butter pudding, and it isn't the custard

• Which Bakers Delight breads work best for your recipe

• Eight puddings, from classic and croissant to brekky and savoury 

Bread and butter pudding is the dessert everyone's grandparents made. It’s covered in not only custard, but nostalgia. Bread, butter, eggs, milk, a bit of sugar, and an oven. That's how simple it is! 

It's also the most convenient dessert if you have a loaf of bread that’s been sitting on the bench for a few days. Firm bread is actually better for this classic recipe than fresh. On a cold night or a slow Sunday morning, pop the oven on and try one of these eight bread and butter pudding variations, starting with the one we all know and love.

What makes a good bread and butter pudding

At the centre of a good bread and butter pudding is the bread. Especially if it’s been sitting out for a day or two; perfect for soaking up the custard and holding its shape. A soft, fresh slice is more likely to turn to mush before it even gets near the oven. Drier bread is your secret weapon. 

For most of the recipes below, the drier the bread, the better. See our guide for How to Revive Stale Bread. 

What's the best bread for bread and butter pudding?

Not every loaf is built for soaking up custard and holding its shape in the oven. Here are our top picks: 

• Our Sourdough Vienna is ideal for a classic pudding. The natural sourdough gives it a soft tang and a slightly chewy texture. It slices easily and fills a big dish nicely. 

• Our Croissants are the sneaky shortcut. Baked with real butter and built in flaky layers, the richness is already in the pastry. 

• The Hi-Fibre Lo-GI White Block Loaf has a soft crust and over 10 grams of dietary fibre per 100 grams, which is handy when pudding is doubling as brekky.

• Our Pane di Casa Vienna Loaf is perfect for savoury bakes. Its dense, chewy texture and crispy crust pair nicely with Dijon custard, so it's the ideal pick when bacon and Gruyère are involved. 

The classic, done properly

A sourdough bread and butter pudding is the version most people picture, and it's the one that best rewards a loaf with a bit of age on it. 

Bread & Butter Pudding

Our Bread & Butter Pudding starts with a Sourdough Vienna, sliced, halved on an angle, and spread with butter. Soak the sultanas in brandy for 15 minutes, then drain them and scatter them over the bread. Then pour the brandy into a custard of egg, caster sugar, cream, and milk, and drizzle over the top. Scatter some brown sugar on top for some extra sweetness and then bake for 40 minutes at 180°C. This recipe serves six to eight people, with some berries and cream on the side.

Croissant bread and butter pudding, a French twist

Swap the bread for croissants and the whole pudding gets richer. Bread and butter pudding with croissants takes advantage of the butter that's already in the pastry. For a fancier croissant bread and butter pudding recipe, take your pick from the four below.

Lemon Custard Croissant Pudding

Four Croissants, halved lengthways, with dollops of lemon curd tucked between the layers and more spooned over the top before it bakes. That's our Lemon Custard Croissant Pudding. Ready-made custard warmed through with milk is poured over in two rounds, with half an hour of soaking in between so the pastry drinks it in. It needs 25 to 30 minutes at 180°C (160°C fan-forced), a dusting of icing sugar, and some cream. It serves four to six people, so a Croissant 4 Pack would be perfect if you’re hosting family and friends.

Strawberry Cheesecake Croissant Pudding

The Strawberry Cheesecake Croissant Pudding is a simple yet pleasing dessert to share at your next dinner party. Two Croissants cut into quarters, ten chopped strawberries scattered through, and a custard made with cream cheese, whisked with milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Any lumps of cream cheese bake out, so don't fuss over them. It needs 30 to 35 minutes at 180°C and a dusting of icing sugar to finish. It serves four people.

Dulce de Leche Croissant Pudding

Our Dulce de Leche Croissant Pudding is a unique addition to the table that no one will forget. Simmer a tin of condensed milk for four hours until it turns into dulce de leche. Halve the croissants and smother them in the dulce de leche, then pour over a milk, cream, and vanilla custard. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 180°C (160°C fan-forced). This easy recipe serves four. P.S. You’ll want to start the condensed milk early.

Chocolate Croissant Pudding

If a chocolate bread and butter pudding recipe is what you're after, our Chocolate Croissant Pudding offers a lovely richness with a refreshing zest to cut through. Six Chocolate Croissants, halved, under a custard of milk, cream, caster sugar, vanilla bean, and orange zest. Give it 10 minutes to soak, then 30 minutes covered with foil at 150°C, and another 10 minutes uncovered until the custard sets. Top it with mixed berries and icing sugar, and you’re ready to serve your table of six.

Clever breakfast puddings 

If you're after a reason to eat pudding before 9am, here it is. Both of these swap dessert for breakfast, using the same bread and custard base but built into single servings you can prep prior to baking.

Banana Peanut Butter Pudding

The Banana Peanut Butter Pudding is a classic breakfast with a twist. Tear four slices of Hi-Fibre Lo-GI White Block Loaf into pieces. Melt peanut butter and honey together and whisk them through eggs, milk, and vanilla. Fold in sliced banana before popping the lot into greased ramekins. Chill them for four hours or overnight, then bake for about 20 minutes at 200°C. Add a dollop of vanilla yoghurt on top, and it’s ready to serve two. 

Blueberry Breakfast Bread Puddings

Our Blueberry Breakfast Bread Puddings are a sweet addition to your breakfast table. Cut Hi-Fibre Lo-GI slices into triangles and set them into a lined tray. Pour an egg, cream, milk, and vanilla mixture over the bread, then tuck blueberries into the gaps, and chill the tray for at least two hours before baking. Bake for 15 minutes covered and an additional 10 minutes uncovered at 180°C. This recipe cooks up nine puddings you can top with a drizzle of maple syrup, a dusting of icing sugar, and the last of the blueberries before sharing with your family.

Savoury bread and butter pudding

Not a sweet tooth? A savoury bread pudding is a clever dinner and lunch idea that still makes use of your stale bread without the burst of sweetness from the previous recipes. 

Croque Monsieur Savoury Bread Pudding

Our savoury bread pudding recipe, the Croque Monsieur Savoury Bread Pudding, is a delicious dinner idea. Layer slices of Pane di Casa Vienna Loaf with grated Gruyere, softened onion with garlic, thyme, and diced streaky bacon, then pour over an egg, milk, and Dijon custard. Bake for 20 minutes at 180°C. This cheesy pudding serves eight and will make great lunchbox additions for your kids. 

Stale bread, eight easy recipes 

Dessert on a cold night, brekky in a muffin tray, a dinner with bacon and cheese, and plenty of leftovers. Every recipe is happier with a loaf that's been left out for a few days and ingredients you may already have lying around. Something for a sweet tooth and a savoury tooth. 

Bread and butter pudding questions, answered

Can you make bread and butter pudding with sourdough?

Yes, and we recommend it. Our own sourdough bread and butter pudding recipe uses the Sourdough Vienna, because the gentle tang cuts through a rich custard and the loaf slices easily. Give it a day or two on the bench first.

What's the difference between a croissant pudding and a bread and butter pudding?

A croissant bread pudding swaps sliced bread for halved croissants, so the butter is already in the pastry and the custard has less work to do. Everything else from the eggs, the milk, the soak, and the oven is the same.

How do I keep my bread at its best for longer?

Keep it in its bag or a ventilated bread bin where the air can move, rather than a sealed container. And if you know you won't get through a loaf, slice it and freeze it while it's at its best, where it keeps for up to four months.

Pop into your local Bakers Delight and grab a loaf. Whether it becomes dinner tonight or pudding on Sunday, it won't go to waste.