We all have our favourite Bread and Butter Pudding. This is mine. I don't like raisins but you can certainly add them to yours. Also, if you like it really creamy rather than dense you want a higher ratio of custard to bread.

You can pretty much make this using any bread including Chocolate bread. And I've also made it using gingerbread cake.

I love it served with a caramel sauce.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Bread And Butter Pudding With Caramel Sauce
===========================================
5 or 6 slices of bread
1/2 cup butter

1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 cups cream (Or milk)
vanilla
pinch of salt

Caramel Sauce

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

NOTE: If you prefer the pudding to have more custard, then use less bread so that all of the custard is not absorbed into the bread when baked.

Cut crusts from bread and spread each slice with butter. (Bread slices can be left whole, or cut into halves, quarters or cubes.

Place bread buttered side up in a oven proof dish. (may use any shape dish, or glass loaf pan, cutting bread to fit)

Beat the sugar and eggs together and then add the cream, vanilla and salt.

Pour over bread and allow the bread to absorb. (make be refrigerated at this point and baked later)

Sprinkle with some white sugar and place dish into a pan of hot water and bake in a 350 oven for 45 to 1 hour, or until pudding is set and golden.

To make caramel sauce,

bring butter, sugars, cream and salt to a boil and then simmer for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Custard sauce for Chocolate Bread and butter Pudding.

The custard sauce was really easy. It was just two cups of milk or cream ( I used coffee cream) heated to a simmer. Mix three tablespoons of flour into 1/2 cup of white sugar and mix into a beaten egg.

When the milk is hot, slowly pour the milk into the egg
mixture,stirring constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook over low heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Custard should be pouring consistency. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Ann T - Thanks for the recipe. Your pictures sure make it look good! I have a copy and I keep meaning to make it. Using gingerbread cake sounds extra good. I think I will make it this week since I have some extra sourdough bread. Have you ever made it with that?
Clare

What's chocolate bread?

Clare, I have but only when it was a light sourdough, not one with a strong sour dough flavour. That wouldn't appeal to me.

Annie1971, this is the recipe I used for the Chocolate Bread.

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Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Chocolate Cherry Bread
======================
Posted by Carol:

Chocolate-Cherry Bread
Recipe from: Chocolate! Good Housekeeping Favorite Recipes
by The Editors of Good Housekeeping
Cookbook Heaven
A not-too-sweet bread studded with bits of bittersweet chocolate and (tried tart cherries. We use Dutch-process cocoa instead of the more usual natural cocoa to give the bread a richer brown color.

Prep: 20 minutes plus rising
Bake: 20 minutes
Makes 2 loaves, 12 slices each

1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)

1 package active dry yeast

3 teaspoons granulated sugar

about 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1 cup freshly brewed coffee, cooled until warm (105 to 115 degrees F)
*
4 tablespoons butter or margarine,softened

1 large egg, separated

3/4 cup dried tart cherries
*
3 squares (3 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
*
1 teaspoon water

In cup, combine warm water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar; stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine 3 cups flour, cocoa, brown sugar, and salt.

With wooden spoon, stir warm coffee, butter, egg yolk (cover egg white and set aside in refrigerator), and yeast mixture into flour mixture. In bowl, with floured hands, knead several times to combine well.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, working in enough of remaining 1/2 cup flour just to keep dough from sticking. Knead in cherries and chocolate.

Shape dough into ball; place in greased large bowl, turning dough to grease top. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place (80 to 85 degrees F) until doubled in volume, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Punch down dough.Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and cut in half; cover dough and let rest 15 minutes for easier shaping.

Shape each dough half into 5-inch ball. Using the sides of your hands, tuck sides of dough under to meet in center. Rotate and repeat to form taut ball. Place balls, 3-inches apart, in opposite corners of ungreased large cookie sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In cup, beat reserved egg white with water; use to brush tops of loaves. Sprinkle loaves with remaining 2 teaspoons granulated sugar. With serrated knife or single-edge razor blade, cut shallow X in top of each loaf.

Bake until loaves are crusty, about 20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Great bread pudding begins with great bread. Which is probably why your pudding was so great Clare! And we all know what a stupendous baker Ann T is! Bread pudding is one of my favorite things. Anything with bread I love.

OMG Ann T: I'm all over that chocolate bread like an ugly suit on a pimp! I'm going to do it with the bread pudding for sure!
Annie1971

Annies new outfit. Couldn't resist.

coconut-nj: Did I say ugly suit on a pup? And stay out of my closet!