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Summer pudding

Summer pudding on white plate surrounded by flowers and a silver spoon.

The practice of placing stewed summer fruits in a mould made with slices of bread started to appear towards the end of the nineteenth century but became particularly popular during the twentieth. It remains a well-loved dessert, particularly at outdoor summer lunches.

Equipment

  • Weighing scales
  • Colander
  • Large saucepan
  • 1.5kg pudding basin
  • Sieve
  • Large bowl
  • Small plate or saucer
  • 800g scale weight (or object of equivalent weight)
  • Serving dish

Preparation method

Day 1

  • You need to make the pudding the day before you want to serve it. If using fresh fruit, once you have removed the stalks from the redcurrants and blackcurrants, rinse them in the colander and place in a large saucepan with the sugar.
  • Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes.  
  • Remove from the heat and add the raspberries.  Stir in.
  • If using frozen fruit, defrost before emptying the bag into the saucepan with the sugar and follow instructions from Step 2.
  • Cut fairly thick slices of bread from the loaves lengthways (so they are tall enough to fit the basin).  Remove the crusts.
  • Cut a circle the same size as the bottom of the pudding basin from one of the slices.
  • Place the sieve over the large bowl and strain the fruit – get as much liquid out of it as you can.
  • Return the fruit to the pan.
  • Dip the bread circle in the juice and place at the bottom of the basin.
  • Submerge the first slice of bread into the juice very quickly.  If the bread slices are submerged too long they will be too soggy to place around the sides of the basin.
  • Place the slice on the side of the basin on top of the bread disc at the bottom.
  • Continue to submerge each slice into the juice and place around the sides of the basin.  You need to overlap the slices as you go so there are no gaps through which the fruit can escape.  
  • Using a slotted spoon transfer the fruit from the pan into the pudding basin.   
  • Once you have filled the pudding basin place a submerged slice on top of the fruit (you may need to use more than one slice which can be trimmed to neatly fit the top of the pudding).  
  • There should be about 1-2cm of bread slices standing proud of the top so fold them over the top slices.  
  • Place a side plate on top of the pudding and weigh down with the scale weight.  If you don’t have a scale weight, then use a couple of tins of beans. 
  • Place the pudding in the fridge and leave to chill overnight.  

Day 2

  • To serve, loosen the sides of the pudding with a palette knife and carefully turn out onto the serving dish. Serve with whipped double cream.

More dessert recipes using bread
Bread and butter pudding
Bread pudding
Brown bread ice-cream
Chireseye
Deptford pudding
Ipswich almond pudding
Poor Knights of Windsor
Queen of puddings
Tudor Devonshire white pot
Victorian Devonshire white pot
 

Victorian

Serves:
10
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kg summer berries: these must include redcurrants and blackcurrants, but you could also include blackberries and blueberries if you want to be less traditional, stalks removed
  • OR
  • 3 x 500g bags of frozen berries which must include redcurrants and blackcurrants.
  • 300 g fresh raspberries
  • 2 large loaves white bread
  • 350 g caster sugar

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Summer pudding
Serving Size
 
209 g
Amount per Serving
Calories
249
Percent of Daily Value*
Fat
 
1.5
g
2
%
Saturated Fat
 
0.2
g
1
%
Sodium
 
161
mg
7
%
Potassium
 
241
mg
7
%
Carbohydrates
 
58
g
19
%
Fiber
 
10
g
42
%
Sugar
 
36
g
40
%
Protein
 
5
g
10
%
Calcium
 
262
mg
26
%
Iron
 
2.6
mg
14
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Keywords

Bread, Summer fruits

Lammas, Lughnasa

© Dr Caroline Gordon 
2026
Illustrations by Chichi Parish
Site by Anselm Eustace