Indulge in the Ultimate Panettone, Orange, and Dark Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
Bread and Butter Pudding stands as a timeless beacon of comfort food, a classic that brings warmth and nostalgia with every spoonful. But what if we told you there’s a way to elevate this beloved dessert to an extraordinary new level? Imagine taking the soft, sweet, and aromatic Italian holiday bread, panettone, and transforming it into a luxurious pudding. This Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding recipe does just that, creating a dessert that is truly beyond compare. Picture delicate slices of panettone, generously studded with molten dark chocolate chunks, all baked to perfection in a vibrant, zesty orange-infused custard. It’s a symphony of flavors and textures that promises to captivate your senses and become a new family favorite. You absolutely have to experience this culinary delight!
While chocolate panettone holds a special place in my heart, this recipe is incredibly versatile and works wonderfully with any flavor of panettone you prefer. Panettone, with its rich texture and sweet aroma, is undeniably delicious on its own. However, these substantial loaves can sometimes be a lot to get through, especially after the festive season. This recipe offers the most delectable solution for any lucky enough to have leftover panettone. It’s an ideal and incredibly flavorful alternative to the traditional British Christmas pudding, offering a lighter yet equally satisfying festive dessert experience. If you’ve previously enjoyed my Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding, then you are guaranteed to adore this panettone version even more!
As a devoted fan of a classic Christmas pudding myself, I understand its charm. Yet, the dense, intensely fruity nature of this British staple isn’t for everyone. That’s precisely why I cherish this Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding as a fantastic alternative for Christmas Day or any holiday gathering. It retains a festive feel with its dried fruit elements (inherent in many panettone varieties) and a sense of tradition, but I find it to be a much broader crowd-pleaser due to its lighter texture and vibrant flavors. What’s more, its simplicity is remarkable. You can effortlessly assemble it the day before, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully overnight in the fridge. The next day, all that’s left to do is pop it into the oven. Serve it grandly, family-style, directly at the table, or elegantly spoon it into individual bowls. A generous scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream is the perfect accompaniment, melting gently into a rich, sweet vanilla sauce that truly completes this incredible dessert.
Table of Contents
- Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding
- Expert Cooking Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Other Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Made This Recipe and Loved It?
- Recipe Card: Panettone, Orange and Dark Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
Why You Will Love This Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe
- **A Delightful Christmas Pudding Alternative:** Break away from tradition with this incredibly easy and equally festive dessert. It’s a lighter, more universally appealing option for holiday celebrations, offering all the festive cheer without the heaviness of a traditional plum pudding.
- **Bursting with Unforgettable Flavor and Texture:** Prepare for a sensational culinary experience! Each bite delivers a harmonious blend of textures and tastes. You’ll savor the bright, zesty notes of fresh orange, the incredible softness and sweet richness of the panettone, enveloped in a creamy, velvety custard. Adding to this indulgence is the delightful crunch of nutty chocolate and hazelnut spread, alongside the luxurious, rich, and gooey pockets of molten dark chocolate that create a truly decadent surprise.
- **Perfect for Festive Leftovers or Special Occasions:** This recipe is a brilliant way to transform any leftover panettone from Christmas or New Year into something truly spectacular. Yet, its impressive presentation and exquisite taste make it perfectly suited for any special occasion, from elegant dinner parties to cozy family gatherings. It’s versatile, resourceful, and always a showstopper.
Key Ingredients for Your Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding
You’ll find the complete, detailed recipe with exact measurements in the printable recipe card located at the bottom of this article.
To create this magnificent Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding, a selection of quality ingredients is essential:
- Unsalted Butter: Opt for unsalted butter to give you precise control over the overall saltiness of your pudding, allowing the other flavors to shine through beautifully.
- Panettone: This iconic sweet Italian bread, often a festive and New Year’s staple originating from Milan, is the star of our dish. Using leftover panettone transforms it into the most luxurious and flavorful bread and butter pudding. Feel free to use any flavor you adore; I particularly love using chocolate-studded varieties for an extra layer of decadence.
- Full-Fat Milk: The foundation of our creamy custard. Using full-fat milk ensures a lusciously thick, rich, and indulgent custard base, crucial for soaking into the panettone slices.
- Double Cream: To elevate the custard’s richness and create an even more decadent texture, double cream is a must. It adds an unparalleled layer of indulgence.
- Eggs: For the best results, always choose free-range eggs. I also highly recommend using large eggs stamped with the British Lion mark for quality and safety assurance. The eggs provide structure and richness to the custard.
- Soft Light Brown Sugar: This sugar is key to imparting a wonderful molasses-caramel type flavor to your Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding, adding depth and warmth that regular granulated sugar cannot.
- Orange Zest: The classic combination of chocolate and orange is especially beloved during the festive season. Using the zest of a large orange, rather than just the juice, intensifies the vibrant, aromatic orange flavor, cutting through the richness beautifully.
- Salt: While it might seem counterintuitive for a sweet dish, a pinch of good quality sea salt, such as Maldon Salt Flakes, is vital. It won’t make your pudding taste salty but rather balances the sweetness of the panettone and the richness of the dark chocolate, enhancing all the other flavors.
- Good-Quality Dark Chocolate: For those irresistible gooey puddles of molten chocolate, choose a dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content. This ensures a rich, deep chocolatey flavor that complements the sweet panettone perfectly.
- Chocolate and Hazelnut or Pistachio Spread: This addition brings an extra layer of indulgence and gourmet flair to the pudding. You can use a homemade spread, like my Pistachio Cream recipe, or a high-quality store-bought option. Classic Nutella works wonderfully, or for a truly sophisticated touch, a luxury Gianduja spread is exceptional.
- Icing Sugar: A light dusting of sieved icing sugar before serving not only adds a delicate hint of sweetness but also provides a beautiful, elegant decorative finish.
- Vanilla Ice Cream: A scoop of premium vanilla ice cream is the perfect accompaniment to warm Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding. Its cool, creamy texture contrasts beautifully with the warm pudding, melting gracefully into a delightful vanilla sauce that enhances every bite.
Substitutions and Variations to Customize Your Pudding
This Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding is wonderfully adaptable, allowing you to tailor it to your taste or what you have on hand:
- Panettone Alternatives: If panettone isn’t available, or you simply want to try something different, many other sweetened enriched breads work exceptionally well. Traditional Italian Pandoro or a rich brioche loaf are excellent substitutes, offering similar textures perfect for soaking up the custard. For an Easter twist, consider making this pudding with leftover hot cross buns – a delightful seasonal variation!
- Sugar Choices: For an even deeper, more intense molasses flavor, you can swap the light brown sugar for soft dark brown sugar. If you prefer a simpler sweetness, caster sugar, golden caster sugar, or granulated sugar will all work perfectly, though you’ll miss out on the subtle toffee-like notes that brown sugar provides.
- Drizzle Spreads: The possibilities for sweet drizzles are endless! Beyond chocolate and hazelnut or pistachio spreads, consider Lotus Biscoff Spread for a spiced caramel flavor, or even delightful options from brands like M&S. My homemade Pistachio Cream remains a fantastic, luxurious choice. For a classic, understated flavor, simply spread the panettone with butter or leave it plain – it will still be incredibly delicious.
- Chocolate Preferences: While rich dark chocolate beautifully complements the sweetness of panettone and the zest of orange, feel free to use milk or white chocolate if you prefer a sweeter profile. For the best gooey results, I strongly recommend using chopped chocolate chunks from a bar rather than chocolate chips. Chunks melt into luscious pockets of molten chocolate, whereas chips tend to hold their shape during baking.
- Orange Zest Alternatives: The combination of chocolate and orange is a festive favorite, but if it’s not to your liking, simply omit the orange zest. If you’re out of oranges but still crave that citrusy aroma, the zest from satsumas, tangerines, or clementines makes for excellent substitutes.
- Adult Indulgence with Liqueur: For an adults-only version, consider drizzling your torn panettone slices with your favorite liqueur before assembling. A splash of Baileys Irish Cream (or one of its flavored varieties) adds a wonderfully festive note. Alternatively, Amaretto, Frangelico, or a good quality Rum will infuse the pudding with delightful warmth and depth.
- Icing Sugar Enhancement: For an extra touch of flavor and elegance, try dusting your baked pudding with sieved vanilla icing sugar. It imparts a subtle, aromatic vanilla note that is truly exquisite and elevates the entire dessert.
- Diverse Serving Suggestions: A scoop of high-quality vanilla ice cream is a classic and highly recommended pairing. However, don’t hesitate to experiment! A rich chocolate ice cream works wonderfully for double chocolate lovers, or lean into the chocolate-orange theme with a chocolate orange-flavored ice cream. For something truly unique, consider serving it with my Homemade Honeycomb Ice Cream for an added crunch and sweet surprise.
Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Simple Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding
Here’s a clear, step-by-step guide to help you create this delicious pudding. For comprehensive and detailed instructions, please refer to the full recipe card below.
Step One: Prepare the Dish and Panettone
Begin by preheating your oven to 140°C Fan (160°C conventional oven). Take a large, 30cm oven-proof dish and generously grease it with softened unsalted butter. For an extra layer of flavor and indulgence, you might optionally spread your panettone slices with a thin layer of pistachio or chocolate hazelnut spread before arranging them. Carefully place the prepared panettone slices into the greased dish, ensuring they are evenly distributed. Set this aside.
Step Two: Warm the Milk, Cream, and Chocolate
In a large saucepan, combine the full-fat milk and double cream. Place the saucepan over a low heat and gently warm the mixture until it begins to steam. Be very careful not to let it boil, as this can affect the custard’s texture. Once warm, add half of your chopped dark chocolate into the pan. Stir continuously until the chocolate has completely melted and is fully incorporated into the warm milk and cream mixture, creating a subtly chocolatey base for your custard.
Step Three: Whisk Eggs and Sugar
In a separate large mixing bowl, vigorously whisk together the large eggs, the additional egg yolk, and the soft light brown sugar. Continue whisking until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth and slightly pale. This step ensures a well-emulsified custard that will set beautifully.
Step Four: Combine Custard Base
Slowly and gradually pour the warm chocolate milk-cream mixture from the saucepan into the egg and sugar mixture in the large bowl. It is crucial to whisk constantly and vigorously as you pour to temper the eggs, preventing them from scrambling. Continue whisking until everything is thoroughly combined into a smooth, homogeneous chocolate custard base.
Step Five: Add Remaining Indulgences
Now, return to your dish of panettone slices. Generously nestle in the remaining half of your chopped dark chocolate chunks amongst the panettone. Then, artfully drizzle or dot spoonfuls of your chosen chocolate and hazelnut or pistachio spread over the panettone and chocolate chunks. Finally, zest the large orange directly over the dish and sprinkle a pinch of sea salt evenly across the surface. These additions will create pockets of intense flavor and texture.
Step Six: Soak and Bake
Carefully pour the prepared chocolate custard mixture evenly over the panettone slices and all the other delicious additions in your oven-proof dish. Once poured, it’s vital to allow the pudding to sit and soak for at least 30 minutes. This resting period ensures the panettone thoroughly absorbs the custard, resulting in a wonderfully moist and tender pudding. After soaking, transfer the dish to your preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the custard is just set (it should have a slight wobble in the center) and the top is beautifully golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Expert Cooking Tips for the Perfect Panettone Pudding
- The Importance of Resting: This step is absolutely crucial for achieving the most sublime bread and butter pudding. Allowing the panettone to soak thoroughly in the custard for at least 30 minutes (or even longer) before baking is the secret to an incredibly indulgent, soft, and uniformly creamy texture. The bread becomes fully saturated, leading to a custardy dream. If you’re pressed for time, you can reduce the soaking period to 10 minutes, but please bear in mind that the resulting texture may not be quite as deeply custardy and tender. Patience truly pays off here!
- Mastering the Make-Ahead Advantage: One of the best features of this Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding is its fantastic make-ahead potential. You can easily prepare this dessert hours in advance or even the night before your event, making it perfect for entertaining or busy holidays. Simply assemble the pudding up to the soaking stage, cover the dish tightly, and chill it overnight in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to bake the next day, proceed as instructed in the recipe. A little trick if you’re leaving it overnight: hold back a small amount of the custard mixture and pour it over the pudding about 30 minutes before you plan to bake it. This ensures the top layers stay moist and absorb fresh custard just before hitting the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions about Panettone Bread Pudding
What exactly is Bread and Butter Pudding?
Bread and butter pudding is a brilliantly resourceful and incredibly delicious British comfort food classic. At its core, it’s an ingenious dish designed to transform leftover bread into a sumptuous dessert. The basic method involves arranging slices of buttered bread (often cut into triangles) in an oven-proof dish, typically sprinkled with dried fruit. A rich, sweet egg custard, frequently infused with vanilla and warming spices, is then poured over the bread and left to soak. This crucial soaking time allows the bread to absorb the liquid, ensuring a soft and moist texture. Finally, the pudding is baked until the custard is just set and the top is golden and crisp. Over the centuries, countless variations have emerged. Today, you’ll find luxurious versions featuring brioche or additions like chocolate spread, fruit curds, or jam. Creative twists also incorporate various types of leftover bread, from hot cross buns at Easter to pain au chocolat and croissants. There are even recipes for crumpet bread and butter pudding!
What is Panettone?
If you’re new to this delightful bread, panettone is a highly popular Italian sweet bread, originally from Milan. It’s a cherished tradition, especially enjoyed around the Christmas and New Year holidays. Panettone is renowned for its distinctive dome-like shape, wonderfully sweet flavor, and characteristically light, fluffy texture. While innovative new flavors have gained popularity, the classic version is traditionally studded with candied fruits and plump raisins. Italians typically savor a slice of panettone at the conclusion of a festive meal, often accompanied by a cup of strong coffee or a sweet dessert wine. It’s also incredibly delicious with a mug of rich hot chocolate. Some even serve it with creamy mascarpone or a light Crema Inglese (English custard). You can even take inspiration from churros and pair it with a decadent dark chocolate dipping sauce.
What other desserts can I make with panettone?
Beyond creating an exquisite Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding, leftover panettone is incredibly versatile for many other delightful desserts. Panettone French toast is a thing of true beauty and a luxurious breakfast or brunch option. You can easily swap panettone for brioche in recipes like my Pistachio Cream Brioche French Toast or Hong Kong French Toast. For a simpler pleasure, toasted slices of panettone with butter, jam, or your favorite spread are utterly delicious. There are also numerous other make-ahead puddings that benefit from panettone. Try incorporating it into your favorite trifle recipe instead of sponge cake; its ideal texture eagerly soaks up all the alcohol and fruit juices. Alternatively, give it a go in a classic Italian tiramisu. Simply substitute the traditional savoiardi (ladyfinger) biscuits with slices of panettone. Even traditionalists will be pleasantly impressed by this flavorful twist!
What is the difference between chocolate chunks and chocolate chips?
There’s a specific reason why I advocate for using chopped chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips in this recipe: the way they behave during baking. Chocolate chips are specifically engineered to maintain their shape at high temperatures. While they look neat and pretty in cookies, they tend not to melt into gooey, flowing pockets. In contrast, chocolate chunks, which are simply pieces chopped from a good-quality chocolate bar, will soften and melt into wonderfully rich, molten puddles as the pudding bakes. They may not look as uniform, but they create a far more luxurious and satisfying chocolate experience, adding incredible moisture and decadence to the dessert.
Can I make this Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding in advance?
Absolutely! Bread and butter pudding, in general, is an excellent choice for a make-ahead dessert, and this panettone version is no exception. You can prepare the entire pudding up to the soaking stage, cover it securely with cling film or foil, and then chill it in the refrigerator. This can be done for a couple of hours or even overnight. When you’re ready to bake, simply follow the instructions in the recipe. If you’re preparing it the night before, a useful tip is to reserve a small amount of the custard mixture and pour it over the pudding about 30 minutes before you intend to bake. This ensures that the panettone remains beautifully moist and flavorful throughout.
What can I serve with this Bread and Butter Pudding?
This Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding is truly perfect on its own, a complete dessert in itself. However, a delicate dusting of sieved icing sugar adds a final hint of sweetness and a touch of elegant decoration. If you can find it, vanilla icing sugar elevates this even further with its subtle aromatic notes. For the ultimate comfort food experience, I love to add a generous scoop of high-quality vanilla ice cream. The delightful contrast between the warm, soft pudding and the just-melting, cool ice cream is absolutely divine. Don’t limit yourself to vanilla; explore other ice cream flavors! Rich chocolate or a vibrant chocolate orange ice cream would also pair beautifully. For a truly unique and textural experience, why not give my Homemade Honeycomb Ice Cream a try?
More Delightful Dessert Recipes to Explore
If the luxurious sound of this Panettone, Orange and Dark Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding has captured your imagination, you’ll surely love these other indulgent recipes:
- Discover the irresistible combination of sweet and salty with my Salted Caramel Bread and Butter Brioche Pudding with Nutella.
- For a no-fuss yet elegant dessert, try my no-bake Tiramisu Cake made with Panettone – a perfect way to enjoy panettone without baking!
- Don’t miss out on my Pistachio Cream Brioche French Toast, a fantastic recipe that works wonderfully for a luxurious brunch or an incredibly dreamy pudding.
- And no discussion of comforting puddings is complete without mentioning my classic Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding, a truly magical dessert with a hidden sauce.
More Sweet Treats
Christmas Recipes
The Best Chocolate Salami
Easy Dessert Recipes
Chocolate Budino (Creamy Italian Pudding)
Drinks and Cocktails
Homemade Hot Chocolate Bombs
Christmas Recipes
The Best Shortbread Christmas Tree Cookies
Made This Recipe and Loved It? We’d Love to Hear From You!
If you’ve tried this delightful Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding recipe and loved it as much as we do, we would absolutely adore it if you could take a moment to leave a review in the comments section below. Your feedback means the world to us! We cherish hearing what you thought, any personal tweaks you made, and the stories behind what inspired you to try our recipes. Additionally, if you share a photo of your magnificent creation on Instagram, please remember to tag me @desertislanddishes. It truly makes our day to see you making and enjoying our culinary creations!
★★★★★ 5 from 1 vote
Panettone, Orange and Dark Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
By: Margie
This Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding is the ultimate alternative to Christmas pudding. Imagine soft, sweet and fruity panettone, with puddles of rich dark chocolate, baked in a zesty orange custard… Simply irresistible!
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- Servings: 8 servings
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Ingredients
For the Bread and Butter Pudding:
- 30 g unsalted butter, softened
- 400 g leftover panettone, cut into chunky slices
- 230 ml full-fat milk
- 230 ml double cream
- 3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 4 tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 1 large orange, zested
- Pinch of sea salt
- 100 g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
- 4 tbsp chocolate and hazelnut or pistachio spread, more if spreading the panettone slices with it
To Serve:
- Icing sugar, for dusting
- Good-quality vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 140°C Fan/160°C conventional oven. Generously grease a large 30cm oven-proof dish with the butter. Optionally, spread the panettone slices with some pistachio/chocolate hazelnut spread. Arrange the panettone slices in the dish. Set aside.
- Pour the milk and cream into a large saucepan and place over a low heat. Warm through until beginning to steam, taking care not to let it boil. Add half of the chopped chocolate and mix together so it melts in.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Gradually pour over the warm chocolate milk-cream mix, whisking constantly.
- Nestle in the other half of the chopped chocolate chunks with the panettone, then drizzle or dot over the chocolate and hazelnut or pistachio spread. Zest the orange and add a pinch of salt.
- Pour the chocolate custard over the panettone slices and leave to sit for 30 minutes. Bake for about 30 minutes – or until the custard is just set and the top is golden and crisp.
- Leave to stand for 10 minutes before dusting with sieved icing sugar. Spoon into bowls and serve warm with scoops of vanilla ice cream. You can also add the ice cream on top of the dish and serve family-style at the table.
Notes
- Panettone: If panettone is unavailable, pandoro or brioche can be used as excellent substitutes.
- Dark chocolate: Feel free to swap dark chocolate for milk or white chocolate if you prefer a sweeter profile.
- Make ahead: This pudding can be prepared in advance. Simply assemble up to the soaking stage, cover, and chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. When ready to bake, follow the recipe instructions. If making it the night before, save a small amount of custard to pour over 30 minutes before baking.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 491kcal,
Carbohydrates: 44g,
Protein: 5g,
Fat: 24g,
Saturated Fat: 15g,
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g,
Monounsaturated Fat: 6g,
Trans Fat: 0.1g,
Cholesterol: 106mg,
Sodium: 51mg,
Potassium: 231mg,
Fiber: 2g,
Sugar: 16g,
Vitamin A: 662IU,
Vitamin C: 1mg,
Calcium: 90mg,
Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
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