Perfect bread and butter pudding

Serves 4

• 0 Stale v fresh
• 1 good old soak
• 0 Extra touches
• 50g currants
• 3 tbsp brandy
• 200g whole milk
• 0 Vanilla pod
• 0.5 lemon
• 75g salted butter
• 8 slices stale white sourdough
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 100g double cream
• 1 tbsp demerara sugar
• 0 Nutmeg
• 1
• 2
• 3

Step 1
I make two, and allow one to sit for half an hour while the other cooks.

Step 2
Using a homemade cornstarch-thickened egg custard, however, is a disaster – the pudding is dry and heavy without the extra liquid.

Step 3
If you're using panettone or fruit bread, you can skip this step if you like.

Step 4
Put the dried fruit into a small cup and pour over the brandy to cover.

Step 5
Cover tightly and leave to soak overnight.

Step 6
When you're ready to make the pudding, put the milk into a small pan with the vanilla pod.

Step 7
Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat, add the lemon zest and allow to cool.

Step 8
Meanwhile, butter the bread and your baking dish and arrange half the slices in overlapping rows inside.

Step 9
Beat the eggs together with the sugar until well mixed, and then remove the vanilla pod from the milk and discard before beating the milk and the cream into the egg mixture.

Step 10
Pour a little more than half over the bread, add the soaked fruit if using, and leave for 20 minutes.

Step 11
Pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Step 12
Arrange the rest of the bread in a second layer in the baking dish and drizzle over the rest of the custard.

Step 13
Dot with the rest of the butter, scatter with demerara sugar and grate some nutmeg over the top.

Step 14
Place in a roasting tin and and fill halfway with water to make a bain marie.

Step 15
Cook for 35 – 45 minutes until golden brown.

Step 16
Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.