ITALIAN BREAD PUDDING

When I was looking through my cookbooks for something beginning with “I” in order to take part in this month’s Alphabakes Challenge, I stumbled upon this recipe for Italian bread pudding in a book called “Greatest ever baking”.

I’m not sure how I acquired the book but it really doesn’t live up to its title.  I have nearly taken it to the charity shop several times but changed my mind at the last minute as there are one or two good recipes in it that I use occasionally.

“I” is a difficult letter.  If you look in the index of most books you will find iced biscuits, Irish this, individual that and quite a few Italian the others.  I very nearly didn’t bother to look at this recipe as I assumed it would need pannetone but in fact it uses stale French bread.  So that makes the recipe immediately quite useful.

This is different from an English bread and butter pudding in that you don’t butter the bread.  Essentially it’s a layer of apples, a layer of stale bread and a egg and cream mixture poured over.

I have to say it was simple to make and absolutely delicious.  I think next time I make it I might skip the coring of the apples to make rings and just try sliced apples instead.  Also I would use my lemon zester rather than make matchsticks of the pared orange rind, which is also very fiddly.

But I will certainly be making it again.  It’s good to have another recipe that uses up stale baguette and this is most definitely not a poor relation type of pudding at all.  It was yummy.

So this is my second entry for the Alphabakes Challenge this month.  Having initially thought the letter “I” was a definite non-starter I have found another recipe that could easily become a favourite of the house.

The challenge is hosted alternately by Ros (otherwise known as Baking Addict) of The more than occasional baker and this month by Caroline of Caroline Makes. You can read more about this month’s challenge here.

Ingredients.

100g stale white bread, which is roughly half a baguette, crusts removed and cut into 2cm slices.

2 eating apples, peeled, cored and cut into rings (I made mine about 5mm thick)

75g granulated sugar

2 tblsp white wine

300ml single cream

2 eggs

the pared rind of one orange, cut into matchsticks (or just use a zester)

Method

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl with the cream and half of the sugar.  Add the orange rind and set aside.

Butter a 2-pint baking dish and lay the apple rings in the bottom.  (I’m sure sliced apples would be just as good here.)  Sprinkle the other half of the sugar over the apples and pour over the wine.

Lay the bread slices on the top, filling in all the gaps with pieced of bread.  Flatten them down with your hand or a fish slice.  Pour the egg mixture over the top and leave on one side to soak for about 30 minutes.

Bake at 180°C / 160°fan / gas mk 4 for about 25 minutes until golden and set.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.  Serve warm.

Serves 4.