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Mimi Thorisson's Rustic Bread and Butter Pudding

Experience a classic with a twist—an old-world recipe from England, enriched with rum-infused raisins and creamy heavy cream. Perfect for winter, it's a notch above with premium artisan bread and muscovado sugar.
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Prep Time 50 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6 people
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: british, English, European, French
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 6 slices rustic/artesian bread You don't need stale bread when using a rustic boule. I opted for sourdough, but a white country boule or any good-quality bread works perfectly. (no seeds)
  • 1/2 cup butter for buttering slices plus 1-2 Tbs for garnish if needed
  • 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream plus more for garnish
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/3 cup raisins (to be soaked in rum or water)
  • 1/4 cup rum
  • pinch nutmeg
  • pinch salt
  • 2-3 Tbs dark muscovado sugar for garnishment. Can be found in some specialty food stores or online. (dark brown sugar is a substitute)
  • serve with Vanilla ice cream optional

Equipment

  • 9 x 9 square baking dish or 1 quart casserole dish

Method
 

  1. In a small bowl, soak raisin in rum 30-60 minutes (or even longer if desired)
  2. Preheat oven to 350 ℉. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Mix in milk, cream, granulated sugar, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
  3. Cut 6 slices of bread and butter both sides VERY generously. Set aside.
  4. Drain raisins and reserve the rum. *Add the rum to the milk mixture. This is a better time to add the remaining rum vs. in the video, when I added the rum just before putting the pudding in the oven. This ensures the rum is evenly distributed. Either way, it tastes delicious.
  5. In a baking dish, place a layer of bread and sprinkle with raisins. Add another layer of bread and sprinkle with raisins again.
  6. Pour milk/egg/rum mixture all over the bread. Soak for 10 minutes.
  7. Pour remaining butter, melted (or 3 Tbs) all over the top.
  8. Sprinkle with dark muscovado sugar.
  9. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot, with lots of cream poured on top and/or vanilla ice cream.

Notes

  • You can freeze bread pudding, either before or after baking. Ensure proper packaging and labeling. It also keeps well in the fridge for several days after baking, and the flavors enhance over time, making refrigeration a tasty option.
  • If you forgot to soak the raisins, add them in the middle to prevent burning. They darken on top even when soaked. Choose to pre-soak in rum, water, or skip soaking based on your preference.
  • To add even more flavor to this pudding, you can spread the bread with some preserves or jam. My favorite jam to use is peach. 
  • If the outside is browning too quickly while the middle remains runny, cover the dish with foil to slow down the browning and allow the middle to cook thoroughly.
  • Let the bread soak in the egg mixture for at least ten minutes or even a few hours. Longer soak times ensure the egg mixture penetrates deep into the bread.
  • If you're not using a rustic artisan boule, make sure to use stale bread. Stale bread works better than fresh, absorbing the egg mixture more easily and quickly.
  • The link to Mimi Thorisson's original recipe can be found here: The Roast & the Pudding – MIMI THORISSON