Mary Berry Bread and Butter Pudding: The Recipe That Actually Works

Key Takeaways

• The lemon zest and proper soaking time (1.5 hours minimum) are what separate disaster from perfection
• Fresh bread works better than stale in Mary’s recipe because of her specific custard ratio
• Your dish matters enormously – shallow is essential for that crispy top
• This can be made ahead and reheats brilliantly, which is why it’s saved countless Sunday dinners in our house
• The sultana placement technique stops them going hard and chewy (push them down, don’t just scatter on top)

Why I Love Bread and Butter Pudding

About five years ago, I made bread and butter pudding so spectacularly wrong that even our dog (who once ate an entire bar of soap) refused to touch it. I’m talking puddle-of-custard-with-floating-bread-islands wrong. The sort of wrong where you bin it and order pizza instead.

Since that disaster? I’ve made this pudding over a hundred times. Possibly closer to 150 if I’m honest. And Mary Berry‘s version is the one that finally made sense.

Who This Post Is For

This is for you if:

• You’ve tried bread and butter pudding before and it went weirdly wrong
• You want a proper traditional recipe that actually works
• You’re looking for Sunday roast pudding inspiration
• You need something that looks impressive but isn’t fiddly
• You’ve got half a loaf going stale and want to use it up properly

Who Should Look Elsewhere

This probably isn’t for you if:

• You want a quick 30-minute dessert (this needs proper soaking time)
• You’re after something trendy or Instagram-fancy
• You don’t like custard-based puddings
• You’re looking for a health-conscious dessert option

Why This Post Exists

Every bread and butter pudding recipe online looks basically identical. Eight slices of bread, some eggs, bit of cream, done. But those generic recipes don’t tell you why yours went soggy, or why the custard separated, or why half of it was dry while the other half swam in liquid.

I’ve made every possible mistake with this pudding. Used the wrong dish. Skipped the soaking. Added too much custard. Not enough custard. Forgot the lemon zest (crucial, as it turns out). Baked it too hot, too cold, too long, not long enough.

What you’re getting here isn’t just Mary’s recipe typed out. It’s that recipe plus five years of trial, error, and finally working out what actually matters.

What Makes Mary Berry’s Version Different

I’ve tried probably 15 different bread and butter pudding recipes over the years. Some from fancy cookbooks that cost £30. Some from blogs that promised “the best ever”. One absolutely bizarre one from a celebrity chef who thought adding chilli was revolutionary (it wasn’t).

Mary’s is different, and here’s why it works when others don’t.

The Lemon Zest Game-Changer

Most recipes either skip the citrus entirely or add a splash of vanilla. Mary uses finely grated lemon zest mixed with the sultanas before assembly. Sounds like a tiny detail, doesn’t it?

The first time I made it, I genuinely considered leaving it out. “How much difference can a bit of lemon make?” Past me was an absolute fool.

That citrus brightness cuts through the richness and stops the pudding being cloyingly sweet. It lifts everything. Without it, you’ve just got sweet, heavy, one-note pudding. With it, you’ve got something that tastes balanced and makes you want another spoonful.

The Custard Ratio That Actually Works

Mary’s ratio of bread to custard is spot-on in a way other recipes just aren’t. She uses 350ml milk and 200ml cream for 8 slices of bread. Too many recipes either drown the bread or leave it dry.

I tested this. Made the same recipe with different custard amounts. Too much and you get bread soup. Too little and you’re basically eating toast with delusions of grandeur.

The Soaking Time Nobody Talks About

Mary says leave it for 1.5 hours before baking. Most recipes say 20-30 minutes. Some don’t mention soaking at all.

For ages, I thought this was just Mary being fussy. Surely 20 minutes is enough? No. It isn’t. Not even close.

The proper soaking time means the custard fully penetrates every bit of bread. You get that gorgeous, uniform, creamy texture throughout instead of crusty bits floating in puddles of unabsorbed custard.

The Sultana Trick That Changes Everything

This is so specific and so brilliant. Mary doesn’t just chuck sultanas on top. She:

1. Mixes them with the lemon zest
2. Layers them between the bread
3. Adds the final ones on top
4. Then pushes them down into the pudding with her fingers

Why? Because sultanas sitting on the surface go hard and chewy in the oven. The ones tucked into the pudding stay plump and juicy. It’s such a small detail but it makes the whole thing better.

The Science Bit (I Promise This Is Actually Interesting)

Understanding why this pudding works helped me stop making disasters. Bear with me.

Why Shallow Dishes Win

Mary specifies a 23-25cm shallow ovenproof dish. Shallow is the crucial word here.

I learned this by using my deep lasagne dish. The result? Pale, barely-cooked middle with a weedy bit of colour on top. Looked sad. Tasted worse.

Shallow dishes maximise surface area, which means maximum glorious crispy top. More surface exposed to heat equals more Maillard reaction (that’s the browning that makes everything delicious). Use a deep dish and you’re basically steaming the bottom half while the top tries to catch up.

The Temperature Sweet Spot

Mary bakes at 200°C/180°C fan. That’s slightly hotter than many recipes, which hover around 180°C conventional.

This higher temperature creates that beautiful puff and golden crust while the custard sets properly underneath. Lower temperatures mean longer cooking, which dries everything out. Higher and you risk burning the top before the middle sets.

It’s a Goldilocks situation, and Mary’s nailed it.

Fresh vs Stale: The Controversial Truth

Everyone says use stale bread, right? It’s in every recipe. It’s kitchen wisdom passed down through generations.

Here’s my controversial opinion after years of testing: fresh bread works better in Mary’s recipe.

The “use stale bread” advice comes from old recipes with loads of custard, where stale bread’s drier texture helps soak up extra liquid without disintegrating. But Mary’s custard ratio is so precisely balanced that fresh bread handles it beautifully and gives you better texture.

Day-old bread is absolutely fine. Two-day-old bread, sure. But that rock-hard loaf from last Tuesday? Bin it or make breadcrumbs. It doesn’t improve the pudding.

Mary Berry Bread and Butter Pudding: The Recipe

What You’ll Need

Ingredients:

• 8 slices medium-sliced white bread
• 75g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 200g sultanas (or golden sultanas)
• Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• 3 large eggs
• 350ml whole milk
• 200ml double cream
• 75g demerara sugar

Equipment:

• 23-25cm shallow ovenproof dish (around 3-pint capacity)
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Sharp knife
• Fine grater or zester

The Method (With All My Hard-Won Wisdom)

Step 1: Sort Out Your Dish and Bread

Butter your dish generously. Don’t be shy. That butter stops sticking and creates those gorgeous crispy edges that everyone fights over.

Mix your lemon zest with the sultanas in a small bowl. This is where the magic starts.

Butter all your bread slices on one side. I use softened butter because it spreads without tearing the bread. If yours is fridge-cold, 15-20 seconds in the microwave works (watch it doesn’t melt though).

Cut each slice into four squares. Honestly though? I cut mine corner to corner into triangles. Easier to arrange and looks prettier. Mary won’t mind.

What I learned the hard way: Don’t butter the bread too thick. I once got carried away and ended up with essentially fried bread pudding. Not the vibe we’re going for.

Step 2: Make Your Custard

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until just combined. Stir in the milk and cream. Don’t over-whisk – you want them mixed, not frothy. Over-enthusiastic whisking creates bubbles that leave little holes in your set custard.

Top tip: Use a jug for this if you’ve got one. Makes pouring infinitely easier later.

Temperature matters: Room temperature eggs and milk work better. I made this once with everything straight from the fridge and the custard didn’t set properly. If you remember, get them out an hour before you start.

Step 3: Layer Everything Up

Sprinkle a handful of your sultana-lemon mixture over the base of the dish. Not all of it – you need plenty for the middle and top.

Arrange half your bread pieces across the base, buttered side down. Bit of overlap is fine. In fact, it helps with the custard absorption.

Sprinkle most (not all) of your remaining sultanas over this layer, then add about half the demerara sugar.

Add your second layer of bread, this time buttered side up. Pour the custard mixture evenly over everything. Try to get every piece of bread – use the back of a spoon to press down any bits trying to float.

Sprinkle the rest of the demerara sugar on top, then add those final sultanas. Now here’s the crucial bit: use your fingers or a spoon to gently push the sultanas down into the bread. They should be visible but not sitting completely on the surface.

Mistake I made: Once I arranged the top layer too neatly and then drowned it with custard in one enthusiastic pour. Bread everywhere. Pour slowly and evenly.

Step 4: The Waiting Game

Leave it for 1.5 hours minimum. I know. I know this seems ridiculous. But it’s the difference between okay and outstanding.

Use this time to prep the rest of dinner, watch an episode of something, or do what I usually do: drink tea and contemplate whether I’ve got enough gravy for later.

In a proper rush? Thirty minutes will work at a push, but you’ll notice the difference. Overnight in the fridge works brilliantly too if you’re planning ahead.

Step 5: Bake It

Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas 6 while the pudding’s soaking.

Pop it near the top of the oven when you’re ready. This position matters – you want heat hitting that top layer to create the golden crust.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. You’re looking for golden brown top, set custard (slight wobble in the very centre is fine but not liquid), and a gorgeous puff.

How to tell it’s done: Gently shake the dish. The middle should wobble like set jelly, not ripple like water. A knife inserted near the middle should come out without raw custard on it.

Step 6: Serve

Mary’s firm on this: it’s best straight from the oven. It’ll deflate slightly as it cools (completely normal), but the texture and temperature are perfect when fresh.

Serve with pouring cream, custard, vanilla ice cream, or all three if nobody’s judging.

What Actually Goes Wrong (And How to Fix It)

After making this pudding more times than is probably healthy, here are the disasters I’ve had and how to avoid them.

Problem	What Went Wrong	The Fix
Soggy bottom	Too much custard, wrong dish, or not enough soaking	Use exact measurements, shallow dish only, proper soaking time
Dry, bread-like texture	Not enough custard soaked in, or overbaked	Check oven temp with thermometer, ensure every piece gets custard, take out with slight wobble
Burnt top, raw middle	Oven too hot or dish too deep	Reduce temp slightly, use proper shallow dish, cover with foil if browning too fast
Rubbery texture	Overcooked or oven too hot	Check oven accuracy, watch carefully after 25 minutes
Bland flavour	Skipped lemon zest or stale ingredients	Never skip the zest, use fresh eggs and cream

The soggy bottom disaster was entirely my fault. I used a measuring jug instead of proper scales and massively overestimated my custard. What looked like “about 350ml” was actually closer to 500ml. Disaster.

The burnt top situation happened when I got distracted by the kids fighting over the Xbox. Forgot to check it, came back to something resembling charcoal on top. Now I set a timer. Always.

Variations That Actually Work

Once you’ve nailed the basic recipe (and you will, it’s not difficult), here’s where it gets fun. I’ve tested all of these properly.

Chocolate Version

Swap in chocolate bread or add 50g dark chocolate chips between the layers. Leave out the lemon zest and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract instead.

My kids lose their minds over this version. It’s properly indulgent. The chocolate goes all melty and gorgeous with the custard.

Brioche Upgrade

Use brioche instead of white bread. You’ll need slightly less butter for spreading since brioche is already rich.

This is my “trying to impress people” version. Makes it feel restaurant-quality even though it’s the same technique.

Hot Cross Bun Easter Special

Use hot cross buns cut into thick slices instead of bread. Don’t add extra spice – they’re already flavoured.

This is our Easter tradition now. The spices in the buns work gorgeously with the custard, and it feels seasonal without any extra faff.

Marmalade Twist

Spread a thin layer of marmalade on the bread along with the butter. Orange is classic, but I’ve done it with lime marmalade and it was incredible.

The slight bitterness of the marmalade cuts through the sweetness beautifully. Very grown-up.

Croissant Decadence

Use day-old croissants torn into chunks. Reduce the butter to just greasing the dish since croissants are already buttery.

This is seriously posh. Perfect for Christmas or when you want to show off. You can check out my other recipe for white chocolate and blueberry bread and butter pudding here – it’s incredible! 

Autumn Spice

Add 1 teaspoon mixed spice to the custard. Swap sultanas for a mix of dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, and raisins.

Perfect for Bonfire Night or those cold November Sundays when you need comfort food.

Summer Berry

Skip the sultanas entirely. Tuck fresh raspberries or halved strawberries between the layers instead. Reduce sugar by 25g as berries add natural sweetness.

This only works in summer when berries are good. Don’t try it with those sad winter ones from the supermarket.

How Does This Compare to Other Classic British Puddings?

If you’re trying to decide what to make for Sunday lunch, here’s how bread and butter pudding stacks up against other traditional options. I’ve made all of these more times than I can count.

Pudding	Prep Time	Difficulty	Make Ahead?	Best For
Bread & Butter Pudding	2.5 hours total	Easy	Excellent	Sunday roasts, using up bread
Sticky Toffee Pudding	1 hour	Medium	Good	Special occasions, dinner parties
Treacle Tart	1.5 hours	Medium	Excellent	Traditional celebrations
Apple Crumble	45 minutes	Very easy	Partial	Quick weeknight desserts
Jam Roly Poly	2 hours	Fiddly	Not really	When you want a project

The beauty of bread and butter pudding is that it looks and tastes impressive but isn’t technically difficult. The long time is mostly hands-off soaking, not active work. Perfect for when you want maximum impact with minimum stress. 

Make-Ahead Strategy (Because Life’s Too Short for Last-Minute Stress)

This is brilliant for entertaining, which is partly why I make it so much.

Can You Prep It Ahead?

Absolutely. Assemble everything up to adding the custard. Cover with cling film and refrigerate. When you’re ready, pour over the custard, let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake as normal.

You can also assemble the whole thing and leave it in the fridge overnight before baking. I do this for Sunday lunches – prep it Saturday night, bake it Sunday afternoon. One less thing to think about when you’re trying to get five dishes ready at once.

Storing Leftovers (If You Have Any)

Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge. Cover tightly with foil or cling film.

It’s genuinely delicious cold for breakfast. I won’t hear any judgement on this. Cold bread and butter pudding with your morning coffee is brilliant.

Reheating Without Ruining It

Best method – oven: Cover with foil and reheat at 160°C for 15-20 minutes. Comes out nearly as good as fresh.

Fastest method – microwave: Individual portions for 30-45 seconds. Not quite as good but perfectly acceptable for Tuesday night pudding.

The Freezing Question

Technically you can freeze it, but I don’t recommend it. The texture goes a bit weird when you thaw it – the custard gets slightly watery and separated.

If you must freeze it, wrap well and use within a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat thoroughly. But honestly? I’d rather make half the recipe if you don’t need loads.

What to Serve It With

Classic Options

Pouring cream – This is Mary’s recommendation and mine. The cold cream against the warm pudding is perfect. Simple and traditional.

Custard – Hot custard makes this feel even more indulgent. I use shop-bought Birds custard most of the time. Life’s too short to make custard from scratch when you’re already making pudding.

Vanilla ice cream – The temperature contrast is gorgeous, especially in summer.

Fancy Alternatives for When You’re Showing Off

Crème fraîche with vanilla – A bit more sophisticated than cream. The tang is lovely against the sweetness.

Salted caramel sauce – Drizzle this over and people think you’re a professional. You can buy it from Waitrose or make it if you’re feeling ambitious.

Clotted cream – Properly indulgent. Very Devon and Cornwall. Makes it feel special.

Whisky cream – Add a good splash of whisky to double cream. Whip it slightly if you’re fancy. Very grown-up dinner party territory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use brown bread instead of white bread?

Yes, but it changes the character completely. Brown bread works fine but gives a nuttier, denser result that’s less traditional. Wholemeal needs the same soaking time. Seeded bread doesn’t work well as the seeds go odd in the custard. If you’re using sourdough, extend soaking to at least 2 hours because it’s denser than standard white bread.

What can I use instead of sultanas?

Raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, or chocolate chips all work brilliantly. You can leave them out entirely for a plain version. The sultana-haters in my house (my 13-year-old) get chocolate chip portions and everyone’s happy. The key is keeping the same total volume if you’re swapping rather than removing.

Can I make bread and butter pudding with semi-skimmed milk?

You can, but you’ll lose significant richness. The full-fat milk and double cream create the luxurious texture that makes this pudding special. If you need to reduce fat, swap double cream for single cream rather than changing the milk – it maintains better balance.

How do I know when bread and butter pudding is properly cooked?

The top should be golden brown and the custard should be set with perhaps a very slight wobble in the centre. Insert a knife near the middle – it should come out without raw custard coating it. Give the dish a gentle shake: it should wobble like set jelly, not ripple like water.

Can I freeze bread and butter pudding?

Technically yes, but I don’t recommend it. The texture changes when thawed – the custard becomes slightly watery and separated. If you must freeze it, wrap well and use within a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat thoroughly. Honestly though, I’d rather make half the recipe if you don’t need large quantities.

How long does bread and butter pudding keep?

Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge when covered tightly. It reheats well in the oven at 160°C for 15-20 minutes covered with foil. Microwave works for individual portions (30-45 seconds) but the texture isn’t quite as good. It’s genuinely lovely cold for breakfast too.

What’s the best dish to use for bread and butter pudding?

A shallow 23-25cm ovenproof dish is essential. Shallow maximises the crispy golden top while ensuring even cooking. Deep dishes leave you with pale, undercooked middles and barely-browned tops. The shallow dish creates maximum surface area for that gorgeous Maillard reaction browning. 

The Honest Truth About Calories and Health

Look, I’m not going to insult your intelligence by pretending this is health food. It’s pudding. Proper, traditional, butter-and-cream pudding.

A realistic portion with cream is probably around 400-450 calories. The whole pudding serves 6-8 people generously.

If you’re considering dietary modifications:

Modification	Does It Work?	Honest Assessment
Dairy-free	Sort of	Oat cream and dairy-free spread work okay but texture isn’t the same
Lower sugar	Partially	Can halve the demerara on top, but don’t mess with custard sugar as it’s structural
Egg-free	No	Eggs make the custard set – no good substitute here
Gluten-free	Yes	Use gluten-free bread, everything else stays the same

This is a treat. A special occasion thing. A Sunday dinner pudding. It’s not meant to be virtuous, and trying to make it healthy usually makes it disappointing.

Make the proper version and enjoy it occasionally, rather than making a sad, compromised version you eat more often because “it’s healthier.” That’s my philosophy anyway.

Why This Recipe Works

After five years and well over 100 attempts, I can tell you with absolute confidence that Mary Berry’s version is the gold standard.

The lemon zest elevates it beyond every other recipe I’ve tried. The ratios are mathematically perfect. The technique – especially that soaking time and sultana placement – makes all the difference.

Is it fancy? No. Does it require exotic ingredients or professional skills? Also no. But that’s exactly why it’s brilliant.

It’s one of those recipes that looks impressive, tastes amazing, and uses stuff you probably already have in your kitchen. My 8-year-old genuinely requests it for birthday dessert. My husband, who claimed for years that he didn’t like bread and butter pudding, now makes it himself when I’m away visiting my mum.

That’s the power of a properly good recipe.

The mistakes I made? Worth it. Because now I can make this blindfolded. And more importantly, I can tell you exactly what matters and what doesn’t.

Why This Recipe Still Works in 2026

I’ve been making this since 2021, and if anything, it’s become more relevant. Here’s why I’m still reaching for Mary’s version in 2026.

The cost of living has made us all more conscious about food waste. A pudding that transforms leftover bread into something this good isn’t just clever cooking – it’s practical household economics. With a loaf costing £1.30 to £1.80 depending where you shop, using up the ends and slightly stale slices makes financial sense.

The recipe hasn’t needed updating because Mary got the fundamentals right. While food trends come and go – remember when everyone was making those fiddly Japanese souffle pancakes? – proper traditional puddings have staying power. This isn’t trying to be trendy. It’s trying to be reliable, comforting, and genuinely delicious.

I’ve noticed more people returning to classic British puddings lately. Maybe it’s the comfort factor in uncertain times. Maybe it’s a backlash against overly complicated recipes that need seventeen specialist ingredients. Either way, bread and butter pudding fits perfectly into how we’re cooking now: simple ingredients, minimal waste, maximum satisfaction.

The make-ahead element has become even more valuable. With three kids doing different activities most evenings, anything I can prep on Saturday and bake on Sunday is worth its weight in gold. This pudding actually improves with overnight soaking, which means planning ahead makes it better, not just more convenient. 

Just Go Ahead and Make It

Here’s what you do: check you’ve got the ingredients (you probably have most of them), set aside an afternoon, and give it a go. When you pull that golden, puffed-up pudding out of the oven and your whole house smells like butter and custard and childhood, you’ll understand why this recipe has lasted for generations.

I’ve been making this since 2021, and it’s never let me down. Not once. The disasters I had early on? All my fault for not following Mary’s instructions properly. Once I learned to trust the method – especially that seemingly excessive soaking time – everything clicked into place.

This isn’t a recipe that needs updating or improving. It doesn’t need a trendy twist or a modern interpretation. It just needs you to follow it properly and let it do its thing. That’s the beauty of genuinely good traditional recipes – they work because they’ve been tested by thousands of people over decades.

Trust Mary Berry. She’s never steered me wrong.

Well, except for that time I tried her Christmas cake and nearly broke my mixer, but that’s a different story.

Drop a comment if you make this! I’d love to know how it turns out. And if you have a disaster, tell me about it. I’ve had enough of them to write a book, so you’re in good company.

 

Liked this Mary Berry Recipe? Explore my takes on other recipes from the queen of cooking and baking!

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Mary Berry Swiss Roll

Mary Berry Treacle Tart

Mary Berry Buttercream

Mary Berry Viennese Whirls

Mary Berry Coffee & Walnut Cake

Mary Berry Ginger Cake

Mary Berry Blueberry Muffins

Mary Berry Sausage Rolls

Mary Berry Raspberry Jam

Mary Berry Marmalade

Mary Berry Cheese Scones

Mary Berry Chocolate Swiss Roll

Mary Berry Apple Pie

Mary Berry Drop Scones

Mary Berry Chocolate Brownies

Mary Berry Apple Cake

Mary Berry Lemon Drizzle Tray Bake

Mary Berry No Bake Cheesecake

Mary Berry Sticky Toffee Pudding

Mary Berry Carrot Cake

Mary Berry Rhubarb Cake

Mary Berry Macaroni Cheese

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Browse my full Mary Berry recipe collection here!