Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding with Marmalade
Custard-soaked, golden-topped comfort
Swapping ordinary sliced bread for buttery brioche turns the old nursery favourite into something altogether more luxurious: the enriched loaf drinks up the vanilla custard and bakes to a soft, almost cake-like richness. A thin layer of orange marmalade spread between the slices is the gentle twist, melting into the custard to lend a bittersweet citrus edge that cuts through all the cream. Golden and crisp on top, meltingly soft beneath, it is the ultimate way to round off a chilly autumn supper.
Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding with Marmalade
Ingredients
- 1 small brioche loaf, about 400g, sliced
- 75g softened butter
- 4 tbsp fine-cut orange marmalade
- 100g sultanas
- 400ml whole milk
- 200ml double cream
- 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 75g caster sugar
- Grated zest of 1 orange
- 2 tbsp demerara sugar
Method
- Butter a 1.5-litre ovenproof dish and heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.
- Spread each slice of brioche with butter and then with a thin layer of marmalade.
- Layer the slices in the dish, overlapping them, and scatter the sultanas between the layers.
- Warm the milk, cream and vanilla in a pan until just steaming, then remove from the heat.
- Whisk the eggs, caster sugar and orange zest together, then slowly whisk in the warm milk.
- Strain the custard and pour it slowly over the brioche, pressing the slices down to soak.
- Leave to stand for 20 minutes so the brioche drinks in the custard.
- Scatter the demerara sugar over the top and sit the dish in a roasting tin half-filled with hot water.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the custard is just set and the top is golden and crisp.
- Rest for 10 minutes, then serve warm with cream or a little extra warmed marmalade.
3 The Story
Bread and butter pudding began life as a way of using up bread that was past its best, a frugal habit common to many cuisines that turn stale loaves into something worth eating. Early English versions date back several centuries and were simply buttered bread layered with dried fruit, soaked in a sweetened milk-and-egg custard and baked until set. It belongs to the same resourceful tradition as the queen of puddings and summer pudding, dishes that quietly rescue leftovers and transform them into proper desserts.
The custard is the soul of the pudding. A blend of milk, cream, eggs and sugar, gently flavoured with vanilla, it bakes into a softly set cream that binds the bread together. Cooking the dish in a water bath protects this delicate custard from the fierce heat of the oven, keeping it smooth and trembling rather than letting it curdle or split. Pouring the custard over and then leaving the assembled pudding to stand is essential, as it gives the bread time to absorb the liquid right through, so there are no dry patches.
Using brioche is the indulgent modern upgrade. Because brioche is enriched with butter and eggs, it is softer and sweeter than a plain loaf and soaks up custard beautifully, baking into a tender, rich crumb that feels closer to a baked custard cake than a thrifty leftovers pudding. It is one of those simple substitutions that lifts a homely recipe into something you might happily serve to guests.
Marmalade is the finishing flourish, and a very British one at that. Spread thinly between the layers, it melts as the pudding bakes and threads bittersweet orange and a slight chewiness through the custard. The fine shreds of peel keep their citrus bite, balancing the sweetness and richness of the cream. A scattering of demerara over the top caramelises in the oven to give that prized crunchy, golden crust, providing welcome contrast to the soft pudding beneath. Served warm, with cream poured over or a little extra marmalade melted into a glaze, it is comfort food at its most generous.
Related Content
