Bread and Butter Pudding

Butter each slice of bread generously on one side. Do not be shy about this. Cut each slice diagonally in half to give triangles, which overlap more neatly in the dish. Arrange a single layer of triangles, buttered side up, across the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Scatter over half the sultanas. Add a second layer of bread triangles on top, again buttered side up, overlapping them so the points stand up slightly. Scatter the remaining sultanas over and between the bread. This layered arrangement is what gives the pudding its character. The top pieces will catch and go golden at the edges, and the ones underneath will become soft and custardy.

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and cream. Warm them together over a low to medium heat on the gas hob. You are not boiling this. You want it steaming and just barely beginning to tremble at the edges, what used to be called scalding. While that warms, whisk the eggs and caster sugar together in a large bowl until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture looks pale and slightly thickened. Add the vanilla extract. When the milk and cream are steaming, pour them slowly over the egg mixture, whisking as you go. Do this gradually so you do not scramble the eggs. Add the ground nutmeg and stir it through. Strain the whole custard through the sieve into the jug. This removes any threads of cooked egg and gives you a smooth, even custard. A note on this recipe: it contains raw egg in the custard at this stage, which is cooked through during baking. If this is a concern, please take it into account.

Pour the custard slowly and evenly over the layered bread in the dish. Pour it in stages rather than all at once, giving the bread a moment to begin absorbing before you add more. Once it is all in, press the top layer of bread gently down into the custard with the back of a spoon. You are not pushing it under entirely. You are encouraging it to absorb. Now leave it to soak. It wants a minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature. If you have the time, 45 minutes is better. The bread should look swollen and the custard level should have dropped noticeably as it soaks in.

While the pudding is soaking, heat your gas oven to 170C fan, or 180C conventional. When the pudding has soaked and the oven is up to temperature, place the dish on the middle shelf. It wants 35 to 40 minutes.

For bread and butter pudding, the unifying liquid has already done its work inside the dish. The custard has soaked through, set around the bread, and created something that is neither bread nor custard alone but something considerably better than either. What this gate calls for is the accompaniment that carries it to the table. Make a simple pouring custard to serve alongside. Warm 300ml full-fat milk in a small saucepan until steaming. Whisk 2 egg yolks with 2 tablespoons of caster sugar and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract in a bowl. Pour the warm milk over, whisk, return to the pan on a very low heat, and stir constantly until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil. Pour it into a warm jug. This poured custard softens each mouthful and makes the pudding considerably easier to eat, which for this dish is the point. It also means no one is cutting through anything or chewing bread crust unaided.

Remove the pudding from the oven and let it rest for five minutes. It will settle slightly and the custard will firm up a little more. Dust the surface lightly with a little sifted icing sugar. This is not decoration for decoration's sake. Under the heat of the grill for two minutes it will caramelise to a thin, glossy crust on the peaks of the bread. If you would like that finish, place it briefly under a hot grill and watch it carefully. It goes from perfect to burnt without much warning. Serve immediately in generous spoonfuls, making sure each portion has some of the soft, custardy interior and some of the golden top. Pour the warm custard beside it or around it, not on top. Carry it to the table without apology. It is one of the best things this country has ever produced.