Berry Summer Pudding
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Author Notes: If you've never had Summer Pudding, now's the time. It couldn't be easier to make -- you just line a bowl with some white bread (stale is fine), fill it with berries and a little sugar, top off with more bread and weight it down overnight. The result is the essence of summer: the bread absorbs the juices and melts into a sweet, fragrant sponge, and when you cut into the pudding, the berries tumble out like so many rubies and sapphires. And, like many of the best British traditions, this pudding ascribes to the "waste not, want not" philosophy -- old bread and a minimal number of additional ingredients make this a snap to shop for. - merrill
Serves 6 to 8
- 5 cups mixed berries (I used a mix of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries)
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of your berries
- 1 loaf dense white sandwich bread (I like Pepperidge farm)
- Heavy cream for serving
- Put the berries and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Taste (careful, it's hot!) and add more sugar if it doesn't seem sweet enough. Let the mixture come to a simmer and cook gently for about 5 minutes, until the berries are still whole but have released a significant amount of juice. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
- Select a 4 to 5 cup bowl or round mold. Trim the crusts from the bread and line the bowl with one layer of bread, cutting the bread into pieces and fitting them in like a puzzle (see photos above). Carefully spoon about half of the cooled berries and their juices into the bread-lined bowl. Arrange another layer of bread over the berries and then spoon the rest of the berries over the bread layer. Add a final layer of bread to the top, taking it all the way to edges of the bowl so the juices are sealed in.
- Cut a round of cardboard to fit inside the bowl (it should be able to sink down a few inches) and cover it with foil. Lay this on top of the pudding and weight it down with something heavy (I used two small cast iron skillets stacked on top of a shallow bowl turned upside-down). Refrigerate the pudding at least overnight, and for up to 36 hours. Remove the weights and the cardboard and carefully turn it out onto a serving platter. Cut it into slices at the table, passing around the cream to drizzle over the top.
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Tags: dinner party
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about 1 month ago Penketh
can you use wholemeal bread for this recipe.
about 1 month ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
As long as it's not too grainy, I think it would work -- you want a soft bread, not a coarse one.
8 months ago Veronica Park
Can you use frozen berries in a pinch?
8 months ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
Yes, sure. You probably won't need a full 5 cups, as frozen berries are already broken down a little -- I'd start with 4-4 1/2 and see how it goes.
9 months ago patchevrier
I have made so many of your recipes and loved them. Why can I not print with the photo and recipe? This would make it easier to locate the recipe I am looking for Thanks so much!!
11 months ago Dana Pickup
Wow'd the crowd and impressed myself. Soooo easy, so pretty - garnish with mint leaves and homemade whip cream. Delicious.
over 1 year ago Linda Madura
Just like Granny used to make! Lovely!
over 1 year ago Panfusine
made a variation of this in India with the local tropical fruits, Mango, pineapple, grapes dotted with fresh pomegranate spiced with cardamom. (the bread available there does not have that unpleasant telltale acrid note of preservative vinegar. & the end result was Fabulous! ) observation make sure that the bowl used in not too deep or high walled, the dish tends to cave a bit when unmolded.
over 1 year ago cooking varieties
lovely looking and interesting ingredients- i conclude this as a delicious authentic pudding and so easy top prepare
almost 2 years ago borntobeworn
I made this last night and served it today. I know I cooked the fruit long enough but the outer layer of bread wasn't soaked through completely with the juice. I had a heavy weight on top so I'm wondering if my bowl was too shallow. Of course, it was delicious! When I make it again, I'll do it with more fruit in my bowl to make it a little taller (mine was about 2" tall). Thanks for the recipe -- so easy and others think it looks exotic :)
almost 2 years ago Panfusine
I had the same issue about the soaking, I simply made up some more berry syrup (this time crushing the berries well, strained the syrup & manually poured it over!)
almost 2 years ago Carolw
This recipe is also very good when made with angel food cake in lieu of PF bread. No matter which way you make it, it is delicious.
11 months ago orlenda
oh that sounds amazing! thanks for sharing your idea!
almost 2 years ago ibbeachnana
I found that this recipe takes more than one loaf of trimmed Pepperidge Farm Sandwich bread unless you want to use some of the crusts which for me tonight I needed to do just that. to fill in spots.
almost 2 years ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
Funny, I never use more than 3/4 of a loaf. How big is your bowl/mold?
almost 2 years ago Panfusine
wow..I wonder if I can get my bakery to slice the bread lengthwise to get wide sheets of bread, just so that I can lay the slices side by side to make this.. (I think this should be categorized under the 'genius' recipes!
almost 2 years ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
Thanks!
almost 2 years ago Panfusine
Made this over the weekend, & although I served it with whipped cream from a can, it was simply divine. Am thinking of making a version with tropical fruits for my blog (pineapple, lychee & mango pulp) will let you know if it works out. I
almost 2 years ago lorigoldsby
Yumm...I have leftover croissants, will they be too buttery?
almost 2 years ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
They probably won't absorb the juices the way the white bread does -- you really need it to soften and mold together.
almost 2 years ago Sagegreen
Love the stale white bread transformation. It is like magic.
almost 2 years ago merrill
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
It is indeed!