Tonight I cooked a full 1940’s main course and dessert for myself, my youngest daughter Em AND my eldest daughters boyfriend. I cooked a simple meal of corned beef fritters fried in dripping, served with fresh green beans and carrots and for dessert a very satisfying bread pudding served with custard
Please Mum….can I have some more…?
All plates were empty and clean afterwards and I took this as a compliment…! Here is the recipe
Bread Pudding
- 10 ounces of stale bread (you’ll have to use your kitchen scales!)
- 2 ounces of margarine or butter
- 1 ounce of sugar
- 2 ounces of dried raisin sultanas
- 1 egg (fresh or dried)
- milk to mix
- cinnamon
- extra sugar for topping
Method
Put bread into a basin and add a little water. Leave for 10 minutes.
Squeeze bread out until fairly dry
Return bread to empty basin and add all the other ingredients (except spice) adding a little milk to make a sticky consistency
Add cinnamon a little at a time until your own taste
Place mixture into a greased pan (like a lasagna pan)
Cook at 160 degrees C for an hour or so until edges are browned and centre is hot
Sprinkle sugar on top 10 minutes before end of cooking
Allow to cool a little, slice and serve
Serves 8 to 10
The 1940's Experiment 
Hi Carolyn,
Made this pudding for dessert tonight. Although because there’s only 2 of us, I halved the recipe.
It was absolutely yummy, and there’s still plenty left for seconds….and thirds! Am really enjoying this diet!!
I hope you’re still enjoying this experiment as I really look forward to seeing what the next recipes will be.
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I so agree with you!! I have been VERY impressed by the tasty food people ate during rationing….it is amazing what comforting and mouth watering food you can enjoy!!
I am making Bread Pudding again tomorrow- it is one of my favourite 1940’s desserts especially with some Birds Custard over the top!
C xx
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Note that this freezes well so waste not want not by portioning it and freezing in small batches.
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My nan makes amazing bread pudding. I think if I could take anything on a desert island, it would be bread pudding. But I’ve never eaten it hot or with custard. I’m so glad you’ve put this recipe up because I think the whole world should know about bread pudding! ;).
I can’t wait to see what other recipes you will post. Also keep up the good work!
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Thanks so much Leigh! I am with you on the Bread Pudding- it is one of the nicest puddings EVER especially on a cold winters evening. It’s even nice cooled and sliced and brought to work in your lunch box- VERY ECONOMICAL and better for you than cookies!!! 🙂
Thanks for your kind words- C xxx
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My mother used to make this but she used syrup and Shetland mixed spice
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You dont need to be so precise on quantities. My mother taught me how to make bread pudding in the 50s and it was a case of whatever you have to hand. The more stale bread the more of the other ingredients you use. Have a large loaf here today and as i have lemons growing in the garden shall add some lemon zest to the mixture.
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I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THIS RECIEPE FOR A FEW YEARS NOW AS MY MOTHER MADE IT FOR US WHEN WE WERE LIVING AT HOME AND MANEY YEARS AFTER SHE PASSED AWAY 3 YRS AGO AND I NEVER DID WRITE THE RECIEP DOWN AS SHE ALWAYS JUST DID IT FROM MEMORY . MY BRITHERS WILL BE VERY SUPRISED NEXT TIME THEY VISIT THANK YOU
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My recipe from this pudding should have said suet
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YUM! Made this hot and served with ice cream. Compliments all round and plenty left to put in lunchboxes tomorrow. This will be made regularly in our house now!
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My grandma made this all the time, we loved it. She topped it with lemond sauce and it was great!
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I made this yesterday and loved it. It is such a lovely light pudding, my husband loved it and he is a real bread pudding connoisseur! I’m looking forward to trying some more of your recipes soon.
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Yay! I am so pleased it came out well as it is a lovely recipe…. BUT here is even a better one I cooked. I love this recipe so much 🙂 https://1940sexperiment.wordpress.com/2010/02/21/bread-and-apple-pudding/
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When I make B & B pudding (sometimes known as Brown Betty) I use breadcrumbs in a thick layers rather than soaked bread slices. Layer the fruit (whatever you have) and breadcrumbs and only add sugar to the very top layer for a crisp top. My favourite is rhubarb and ginger, followed by spiced apple.
It’s just as good as a savoury using mince, onions and gravy between the layers with smokey chedddar cheese on top. Any vegetables can also be used for a vegetarian version.
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I made this and my family loved it! It was such a hit I made it to take to a social where I knew several elderly people would be attending and they raved about how it took them back down memory lane. Many of them don’t cook much anymore because they live alone. Thanks! I am enjoying your blog.
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dying to try this with a few apricots aswell YUM!
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This is one of THE best blogs anywhere! Just love it, and bread pud is one of my childhood favourites. Wonderful stuff. Many thanks, Phil.
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You are VERY kind Phil! Many thanks and plenty more recipes coming! C xxx
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good for homework 🙂
frankiex
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You don’t have to use an egg in bread pudding (not bread and butter pudding). My nan always made it without eggs.
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You can soak in milk instead of water. Which is what my nan did with the no egg version.
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iv been looking for this recipe for a long time finerly found it thank you
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Hi
Love this site… I make bread pudding like my nan, and she soaked the bread in tea, (it gives it a nice flavour and colour) I save old teabags and use about 5-6.
I also use suet instead of marge, no eggs. If you have it, a TBs of black treacle adds a different dimension, as well as colour. I use mixed fruit, with the peel but thats just because i like it!
I feel like i have completely changed the recipe as i add mixed spice in too.
Yum Yum,perfect for hungry mouths 🙂
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Another classic my Mother used to make, and again, it was from her experience in growing up in mid, and post-war Germany.
I forgot this existed until I read this page. Going to make it tonight for sure!
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Hi
I tried this Breadpudding, Blooming Gorgous, i’m not a total novice cook i used to do all the cooking, but since my wife passed away i thought i would have a go at a bit more than, just Sunday dinner, pancakes, stew, Spag- bol, general foods etc i have had a go at doing doing Rubarb tart, Boiled Roly-poly, then i just bumped into this page, its in my favorites , will be trying a few more off this site 😉 “Me thinks”
Big THANX
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Oh you just can’t go wrong with a bread pudding 🙂 I will be cooking one tomorrow again as I have a lot of stale bread! Have you tried the bread and apple pudding or the dukes pudding on here? Both are very similar to the bread pudding but are just even a little more yummy 🙂 Thanks Kenny!!! C xxx
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my hubby love bread pudding he`s been to all the bakers never find that is right too dry,too spicey too dry too wet years ago he you`s to make it him self he did make one with shortbread with mix nut
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Add oats for some bread yummmmm
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Can you tell me please do you add the marg or butter to the ingredients,,, or is this for greased pan,is there a easier way to squeeze bread than by hands.thanks hope someone can answer for me…
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Hi Patricia
Squeezing by hand is the quickest and easiest way but as I make bread pudding quite a lot I’ve now found the easiest way is to drizzle water over and mix with a spoon or fingers until all the bread is damp and then add the other ingredients including the milk and margarine to make it sticky
Dot the two ounces of margarine over the mixture then mix it in and use a small blob of margarine as extra to grease the pan.
C xxx
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It can be made a but more ration friendly by using honey or molassas rather than sugar. It changes the flavor but it would save sugar. A bit of applesauce instead of margerine can be done. It changes the texture but butter was very limited
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Try steaming it in a greased pudding basin for 2 hours.
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Yes Peter, it’s even better steamed, using a slow cooker or crock pot to save elec-trickery ! If you must have a crispy top then just grill it.
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WOW Carolyn! My Nana made this frequently when I was a child (I’m now 46) and I loved it, especially cold. Neither my Mum nor Aunts ever learnt how to make it and it seemed it was a recipe destined to be forgotten with Nana’s diminished memory. Nana always used brown bread, hopefully it will turn out as well as I remember
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Wow I make this all the time. Didn’t know it as a war recipe. My mum always made it. Love it ❤
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Hello from Canada….My Mum was from England. and came to Canada as a war bride. As a child I remembered her wonderful Bread pudding. Its the only kind I ever liked. I am 68 yrs . old and still crave it. I shouid have gotten the recipie. Now at last…..here it is. Thank you so much. Im gonna make it as is. No changes whatsoever….this is the real deal…..God Bless You
Gloria Warren….(and Mum thanks you too)
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Hello…Gloria from Canada again….I forgot to mention I have to try and figure out these measurments…..an ounce of sugar???? I wonder if that’s a teaspoon. Has anyone made this with Canadian or even American measures?
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I don’t know how much is an ounce in grams but looks delicious!!!!!
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An ounce is roughly 25gms. That should work ok, good luck, it’s excellent, I make it all the time.
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Most people during the war years used the unhealthy lard. butter was rationed.
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https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsMy Nan used to make this, and been trying to find recipe for it for years.
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I’ve used all sorts of different baked goods to make this, it’s a great use up what you have recipe, hot cross buns are especially good.
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Been looking for this bread pudding recipe for ages, mom used to make this for us 5 children, I couldn’t remember the recipe so looking forward to making this for myself and hubby also a surprise pudding for friends.
Thank you for posting this, bless you .
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I am 88 and my granny used to make this bread pudding during the war years when we had rationing her recipe was very similar to yours except margarine was used and no milk was necessary as bread was moist enough also sugar was sprinkled over the top before cooking and also again after cooking of course as she had a large family all the ingredients were trebled and cooked a bit longer but I still make this myself and it’s so lovely to see you bringing back so many memories for me and I’m sure many other people of my generation
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