Summer pudding
See this recipe step-by-step

Summer pudding

This quintessentially British pud, packed with juicy summer berries, is so much easier than it looks, perfect for beginners

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8

Preperation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 10 mins

Plus chilling
Vegetarian

Vegetarian, Low-fat

Counts as 3 of 5-a-day, high in fibre

Method

  1. Bring out the juices: Wash fruit and gently dry on kitchen paper - keep strawberries separate. Put sugar and 3 tbsp water into a large pan. Gently heat until sugar dissolves - stir a few times. Bring to a boil for 1 min, then tip in the fruit (not strawberries). Cook for 3 mins over a low heat, stirring 2-3 times. The fruit will be softened, mostly intact and surrounded by dark red juice. Put a sieve over a bowl and tip in the fruit and juice.
  2. Prepare the bread: Line the basin with cling film as this will help you to turn out the pudding. overlap two pieces in the middle of the bowl as it's easier than trying to get one sheet to stick to all of the curves. Let the edges overhang by about 15cm. Cut the crusts off the bread. Cut 4 pieces of bread in half, a little on an angle, to give 2 lopsided rectangles per piece. Cut 2 slices into 4 triangles each and leave the final piece whole.
  3. Build the pud: Dip the whole piece of bread into the juice for a few secs just to coat. Push this into the bottom of the basin. Now dip the wonky rectangular pieces one at a time and press around the basin's sides so that they fit together neatly, alternately placing wide and narrow ends up. If you can't quite fit the last piece of bread in it doesn't matter, just trim into a triangle, dip in juice and slot in. Now spoon in the softened fruit, adding the strawberries here and there as you go.
  4. Let flavours mingle then serve: Dip the bread triangles in juice and place on top - trim off overhang with scissors. Keep leftover juice for later. Bring cling film up and loosely seal. Put a side plate on top and weight down with cans. Chill for 6 hrs or overnight. To serve, open out cling film then put a serving plate upside-down on top and flip over. serve with leftover juice, any extra berries and cream.
Try

Berries over cooked or white patches?

The best thing to do is add more berries, strawberries are best. If your bread is patchy, take the spare juice and spoon it over - people will never know.

The sugar in the pan won't dissolve?

It takes a lot longer than you might think to dissolve caster sugar. Be patient and keep the heat low. It's ready when there's no grittiness at the bottom when you stir.

Apricot berry brioche pudding

For a decadent twist, add 3 tbsp crème de cassis or framboise to the sugar in the pan instead of water. Gently cook about 650g halved and stoned apricots in the syrup for 5 mins, then add about 650g mixed raspberries, blackberries and currants and cook for a few mins more. Line the basin with cling film as before then layer up the fruit and juice- soaked slices of brioche from a large loaf, rather than lining the sides with it. Wrap and weight down the pudding.

Spiced apple berry pudding

Use spiced fruit loaf instead of white bread to line the basin. Heat sugar and water together, then gently cook 2 large peeled cored and chopped cooking apples for 5 mins until softened. Add 850g mixed blackberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants and raspberries and 1⁄2 tsp mixed spice and cook for a few mins until the fruit softens. Build the pud and serve with vanilla ice-cream.

Per serving

248 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 57g, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 9g, salt 0.45 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, July 2007.

Latest comments and suggestions

  • 28 February 2008

    pookie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    its great

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  • 06 August 2008

    WillCaxton commented on this recipe

    I don't know why people always insist on white bread for this dish; wholemeal is infinitely superior (in my opinion).

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  • 17 August 2008

    Amanda rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Wonderful - kids cant get enough!

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  • 31 August 2008

    caramacgirl commented on this recipe

    Summer pudding is my husband's favourite so when I saw this recipe I thought I should give it a go. I had always been put of because my Mum always used to have problems with 1) The pud stciking to the basin and it ending up in a messy heap on the plate and 2) having white patches of bread with no juice. Both of these were sorted with this recipe with the very sensible cling film and dipping the bread in juice. I did find the strawberries were rather watery in texture by comparison to the rest of the fruit and I would leave them out another time. (Wild alpine ones would be good if you could get them!)

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  • 06 October 2008

    Chirsteen rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Very easy and very nice. I forgot to line the basin with cling film but just put in the freezer for half an hour and it came out easily and intact. It's a shame it's not found on a search for a dairy free diet as it's ideal for someone with a intolerance to lactose.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8

Preperation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 10 mins

Plus chilling
Vegetarian

Vegetarian, Low-fat

Counts as 3 of 5-a-day, high in fibre

Ingredients

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Per serving

248 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 57g, fat 1 g, saturated fat 0g, fibre 9g, salt 0.45 g

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