Bread Pudding is a classic British Dessert, delicious hot or cold and fantastic with a drizzle of homemade custard.

This is a very simple recipe, You don't need to be a good cook to get great results. You'll also find there will be no use of mixing spoons in this as you will be using your hands!

Lets get started!

Step 1: What Am I Going to Need?

Makes 12 portions:

1 Small loaf of stale bread or half a stale french stick.
100g of sugar
150g of dried mixed fruit
50g of vegetable suet (Or beef if your not veggie, whichever is fine)
3 Eggs
300ml milk
1L water (For soaking the bread with the milk)
1 Tbsp Butter (Melted)
1 Tsp mixed spice

You will also need,

Large mixing bowl
Sieve
Lined baking tray (deep)

Step 2: Break Up the Bread

Cut it neatly with a knife or tear it into small chunks for your hands, it's your choice. I use my hands to tear the bread into small chunks into the large mixing bowl.

Just to note, underneath the brown bread is another loaf of white bread as I made a double batch so don't worry if it looks like you have less than me!

Step 3: Soak the Bread

Soaking the bread is a important and the longest stage of making bread pudding, although it doesn't require effort it does need time. Lots of it.

Pour all of the milk into the mixing bowl with the bread, also add the water. If the bread is not fully covered add more water until it is.

Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave for at least 4 hours if not overnight for the best result.

Step 4: Finishing the Soaking

I tried to find a nice word for this but I couldn't, what you need to do now is get your hands in that bowl and squeeze the bread to make sure it's all broken up. Do this for around 10 minutes or until the bread has broken up and the mixture is a little gloopy.

Step 5: Drain the Bread

Using your hand scoop some of the bread and water mixture into the sieve and push down on it to drain most of the water out. Put the drained bread into a another bowl.

Continue doing this until the large mixing bowl that had the bread and water in is empty, put the drained bread back into the large bowl.

Step 6: Add the Dried Fruit

Throw the dried mixed fruit into the bowl, if you wish you can soak the fruit in a little orange juice and maybe a little bit of whiskey/sherry ;)

Give it a good mix with your hand!

I'd like to admit something here, the bag of mixed fruit pictured in step 1 turned out past it's best so I ended by using just sultanas and raisins.

Step 7: Add the Sugar

Pour it in, stir it round!

Step 8: Break Some Eggs

Break the eggs into a small bowl of give them a light whisk with a fork, pour this into you mixture and give it another little mix.

Step 9: Add the Suet

Add the suet the the mixture and you guessed it, give it another mix!

Step 10: Add the Butter

Melt the butter the microwave for a few seconds and pour this into the mixture and give it yet another quick mix.

Step 11: Spicy!

Time to add the mixed spice, you can also add another spoon of cinnamon like I did if you want a little more spice.

This is the last time your going to mix so make it a good one!

Step 12: Pour Into the Tins

Pour the mixture into a lined deep oven tray and level it out using you hand.

Step 13: Into the Oven

You can now put the oven tray full of mixture into a preheated oven at gasmark 5, 190°C or 375°F for around 45 minutes.

Step 14: When It's Done...

When the bread pudding is cooked remove it from the oven and sprinkle it with sugar, cut into 12 pieces or as many as you like.

Step 15: Final Notes

Store bread pudding in the fridge in a plastic box, it will last around a week safely if it doesn't get eaten! If you want to try it warm place it on a plate in the microwave for around 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Dust with icing sugar for that final touch if you wish!

Please rate and comment! =D