Mrs Beeton’s Bread Pudding Recipes (6 Recipes)

Mrs Beeton’s cookbook (also known as Mrs Beeton’s complete book of household management) has multiple recipes for bread pudding.

She also has a recipe for bread and butter pudding, which in my opinion is the best traditional bread pudding recipe, so I have dedicated a whole post to it.

The traditional bread and butter pudding recipe is what most people think of when you say bread and butter pudding, it uses slices or pieces of bread. The bread pudding recipes below have a smoother texture, using either grated bread that is soaked and mashed to remove any lumps.

I have included all 5 of Mrs Beetons bread pudding recipes below, in her original language (I love the descriptive language she uses “odd pieces of crust or crumb of bread”). Enjoy!

1. Mrs Beeton’s Baked Bread Pudding

Baked Bread Pudding Ingredients

1/2 lb. of grated bread
1 pint of milk
4 eggs
4 oz. of butter
4 oz. of moist sugar
2 oz. of candied peel
6 bitter almonds
1 tablespoonful of brandy

Baked Bread Pudding Instructions

Put the milk into a stewpan, with the bitter almonds; let it infuse for 1/4 hour; bring it to the boiling point; strain it on to the bread crumbs, and let these remain till cold; then add the eggs, which should be well whisked, the butter, sugar, and brandy, and beat the pudding well until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed; line the bottom of a pie-dish with the candied peel sliced thin, put in the mixture, and bake for nearly 3/4 hour.

Time.—Nearly 3/4 hour. Average cost, 1s. 4d.

Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

Note.—A few currants may be substituted for the candied peel, and will be found an excellent addition to this pudding: they should be beaten in with the mixture, and not laid at the bottom of the pie-dish.

2. Mrs Beeton’s Very Plain Bread Pudding

Very Plain Bread Pudding Ingredients

Odd pieces of crust or crumb of bread; to every quart allow 1/2 teaspoonful of salt, 1 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 3 oz. of moist sugar, 1/2 lb. of currants, 1-1/4 oz. of butter.

Very Plain Bread Pudding Instructions

Mode.—Break the bread into small pieces, and pour on them as much boiling water as will soak them well. Let these stand till the water is cool; then press it out, and mash the bread with a fork until it is quite free from lumps. Measure this pulp, and to every quart stir in salt, nutmeg, sugar, and currants in the above proportion; mix all well together, and put it into a well-buttered pie-dish. Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon, and place the butter in small pieces over the top; bake in a moderate oven for 1-1/2 hour, and serve very hot. Boiling milk substituted for the boiling water would very much improve this pudding.

Time.—1-1/2 hour. Average cost, 6d., exclusive of the bread.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.

3. Mrs Beeton’s Boiled Bread Pudding

Boiled Bread Pudding Ingredients

1-1/2 pint of milk
3/4 pint of bread crumbs
sugar to taste
4 eggs
1 oz. of butter
3 oz. of currants
1/4 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg

Boiled Bread Pudding Instructions

Mode.—Make the milk boiling, and pour it on the bread crumbs; let these remain till cold; then add the other ingredients, taking care that the eggs are well beaten and the currants well washed, picked, and dried. Beat the pudding well, and put it into a buttered basin; tie it down tightly with a cloth, plunge it into boiling water, and boil for 1-1/4 hour; turn it out of the basin, and serve with sifted sugar. Any odd pieces or scraps of bread answer for this pudding; but they should be soaked overnight, and, when wanted for use, should have the water well squeezed from them.

Time.—1-1/4 hour. Average cost, 1s.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons. Seasonable at any time.

5. Mrs Beeton’s Brown Bread Pudding

Brown Bread Pudding Ingredients

3/4 lb. of brown-bread crumbs
1/2 lb. of currants
1/2 lb. of suet
1/4 lb. of moist sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoonfuls of brandy
2 tablespoonfuls of cream
grated nutmeg to taste

Brown Bread Pudding Instructions

Mode.—Grate 3/4 lb. of crumbs from a stale brown loaf; add to these the currants and suet, and be particular that the latter is finely chopped. Put in the remaining ingredients; beat the pudding well for a few minutes; put it into a buttered basin or mould; tie it down tightly, and boil for nearly 4 hours. Send sweet sauce to table with it.

Time.—Nearly 4 hours. Average cost, 1s. 6d.

Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.

Seasonable at any time; but more suitable for a winter pudding.

5. Mrs Beeton’s Miniature Bread Puddings

Miniature Bread Pudding Ingredients

1 pint of milk
1/2 lb. of bread crumbs
4 eggs
2 oz. of butter
sugar to taste
2 tablespoonfuls of brandy
1 teaspoonful of finely-minced lemon-peel

Miniature Bread Puddings Instructions

Mode.—Make the milk boiling, pour it on to the bread crumbs, and let them soak for about 1/2 hour. Beat the eggs, mix these with the bread crumbs, add the remaining ingredients, and stir well until all is thoroughly mixed. Butter some small cups; rather more than half fill them with the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven from 20 minutes to 1/2 hour, and serve with sweet sauce. A few currants may be added to these puddings: about 3 oz. will be found sufficient for the above quantity.

Time.—20 minutes to 1/2 hour. Average cost, 10d.

Sufficient for 7 or 8 small puddings.

Seasonable at any time.

6. Mrs Beeton’s Baked Bread and Butter Pudding

1789.—BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDINGS, BAKED.

Ingredients.—5 or 6 thin slices of bread and butter, 1 pint of milk, 2 eggs, 1 dessertspoonful of sugar, sultanas, currants or candied lemon, if liked.

Method.—Cut off the crust and divide each slice of bread into 4 squares, arrange them in layers in a well-buttered piedish. and sprinkle each layer with sultanas or whatever is being used. Beat the eggs, add the sugar, stir until dissolved, then mix in the milk and pour gently over the bread, which should only half fill the dish. Let it stand at least 1 hour for the bread to soak, then bake in a moderately cool oven for nearly 1 hour.

Time.—2¼ hours. Average Cost, 6d. to 8d. Sufficient for 4 or 5 persons.

I have updated this recipe with modern instructions. Read it here: Traditional bread and butter pudding.

Original source: Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management.