Go Back
+ servings
summer pudding with slice cut out and fruit on top
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Summer pudding

Summer pudding is a classic British no bake dessert, packed with berries. 
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Servings: 8 approx
Calories: 159kcal
Author: Caroline's Cooking
Save

Ingredients

  • 7 oz white bread weight trimmed of crusts
  • 4 oz blueberries
  • 8 oz strawberries
  • 5 oz blackberries
  • 8 oz raspberries
  • 3 oz redcurrants
  • ½ cup sugar (or a little more, to taste)
  • ¼ cup water

Instructions

  • Line a bowl that has a capacity of a little over 4 cups/1 liter with cling wrap/film. 
  • Take a piece of the trimmed bread and put in the middle of the base of the bowl, trimming a little if needed to it sits relatively flat. Then use more pieces to line around the sides, trimming as necessary so they sit relatively flat around the sides but with no gaps. It's better to slightly press them to hold together than leave gaps. You can plug any gaps with scraps of bread. Also cut pieces of bread to form a lid over the bowl, fitting just inside the bread lining you have made (see photos above/video).
  • Wash all of the fruit, remove stones if using any stone fruit and chop larger pieces eg of strawberry so the various fruits are a similar size (apart form any smaller ones, obviously). 
  • Put all of the fruit, sugar and water in a pan and cook over a medium-low heat for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the fruit are starting to release their juices but still not breaking up too much. 
  • Scoop the fruit into the middle of the bread-lined bowl - it should fill right to the top. Put the bread lid on top then pour over some of the reserved juices to moisten the bread. You can put a little towards the edge too, just try not to let it escape the bowl. Save any leftover juices.
  • Fold the cling wrap/film over the bread then place a plate on top and weigh it down eg with a can/tin. Refrigerate overnight.
  • When ready to use, open up the cling to expose the bread lid, put a plate on top then invert the bowl. Carefully ease off the bowl/cling to leave the pudding on the plate. Drizzle over some extra juices and serve (decorated if you like with more fruit).

Video

Notes

(see video above)
If you can't get/don't particularly like some of the fruits I suggest you can use others, as well as changing the quantities, just use approximately the same overall quantity. I'd also recommend using at least one dark colored fruit like blackberries or blackcurrants to give a nice color to the pudding.
Use a relatively dense white bread for this - a regular sliced/denser French style is good, but not one with lots of larger air pockets like a ciabatta. You can also use brioche.

Nutrition

Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 33.6mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1.5mg