An overhead view of a golden-brown rhubarb bread pudding in an oval dish, topped with red berries and fresh mint leaves.

Rhubarb & Custard Bread & Butter Pudding

Make this rhubarb & custard bread & butter pudding using Hovis Farmhouse Batch. A creamy classic with a zesty rhubarb twist.

Hovis Farmhouse Batch bread with a subtle shadow under it. The packaging is half transparent and half dark teal, decorated with wheats.

Made with Hovis® Farmhouse Batch

Preparation time: 25 mins

Cook time: 55 mins

Serves 10

Ingredients

50g light brown sugar
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp ground cinnamon
600g rhubarb, cut into 3cm sticks
Hovis Farmhouse Batch loaf
50g butter, softened, plus extra to grease
300ml double cream
200ml milk
4 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g caster sugar
4 tbsp custard powder
1 tbsp demerara sugar
Ice cream or whipped cream, to serve

Tip

If you want an even deeper flavour, let the pudding soak in the fridge for an hour (instead of 30 minutes) before baking. This allows the custard powder in the mix to fully hydrate, resulting in a much smoother dessert.

Method

Butter a large baking dish (about 26cm round, or a 20cm x 30cm rectangular dish). Put the light brown sugar in a saucepan with 75ml water, the orange zest and cinnamon. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved then bring to a simmer. Add the rhubarb and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until it’s just softened. Remove from the heat and transfer the rhubarb to a plate, using a slotted spoon to reserve the poaching syrup. Butter the Hovis Farmhouse Batch slices and cut each slice into two triangles.

A person in a grey apron uses a red spatula to pour brown sugar from a glass bowl into a pink pot on a kitchen counter.

Add the cream and milk in a pan and heat gently. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the vanilla, caster sugar and custard powder. When the cream mixture is steaming, slowly pour over the egg mixture, whisking until you have a smooth custard.

A person uses a metal whisk to mix a yellow batter in a large glass bowl on a white marble countertop.

Layer the bread in the buttered dish, interspersing with chunks of rhubarb and drizzling over the rhubarb poaching syrup. Strain the custard through a sieve and then pour it all over the bread and rhubarb in the dish. Leave to soak for 30 minutes before baking.

Diced bread cubes fill a white baking dish, with small bowls of chopped rhubarb and brown sugar sitting nearby.

Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Sprinkle the demerara sugar and place the dish in a deep roasting tin. Pour boiling water into the roasting tin so it comes halfway up the sides of the pudding dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden and the custard has set. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.