Sourdough bread pudding

We all love sourdough, but what do we do when it goes stale or we have offcuts? This is a great warming dessert or sliced and served with tea. Rich, flavoursome and very economical to make. Peter Kuruvita's Coastal Kitchen

• serves

  12

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  1:30 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 loaf stale sourdough bread
• 300 ml milk
• 1 apple or quince, grated (include the skin but not the core or pips)
• 300 g dried mixed fruit (I use a mixture of currants, raisins, sour cherries and sultanas)
• 50 g mixed peel
• 3 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp plum jam
• 40 g self-raising flour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 100 g butter, melted
• demerara sugar, double cream, ice-cream or custard, to serve

Standing time: 10 minutes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170˚C. Grease and line a 20 x 28 cm roasting tin with baking paper.

Slice the bread, including the crusts, then break up into small pieces. Place the milk in a bowl, add the bread pieces, then stand for 10 minutes or until the milk has been absorbed and the bread is soft.  Beat the bread and milk well with a fork or your hands until a creamy mush forms. 

Stir in the grated apple or quince, then add all the remaining ingredients, but only half the melted butter. Stir until well combined, then pour into the prepared tin. Pour the rest of the melted butter evenly over the surface.  Use a pastry brush to ensure that it is all coated. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 1½ hours or until golden and set. Remove from the oven, sprinkle over a little demerara sugar and serve warm with double cream or custard.

Alternatively allow to cool, then slice and eat as cake.

Note

• You can purchase Mixed Peel from your supermarket or greengrocer.

Peter Kuruvita's Coastal Kitchen starts 8pm, Thursday 21 June on SBS and then you can catch-up on SBS On Demand. Visit the program page for recipes, videos and more.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.