Vanilla Caramel Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding

January is not the time for new year resolutions. At least for me it’s not. It’s a time to rest and recharge. Spend cosy dark days at home alongside nature as it sits in hibernation too.

This caramel and vanilla panettone bread and butter pudding brought me such joy and comfort on the last day of 2025.

It begins in a saucepan full of caramelising sugar, which is turned into a rich caramel vanilla custard. It’s poured onto thick wedges of panettone and gets baked until golden.

There’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of soft custard soaked panettone speckled with succulent sultanas. There's crunch from the demerara sugar that sits on top and little gems of candied mixed peel, ready to be foraged with a spoon. I douse mine with a good helping of cream but it shines just as bright on its own.

Ingredients - Serves 8
Soaked Sultanas:
70g sultanas/raisins
juice of half an orange
boiling water, to cover

Bread Pudding:
1 x large panettone, approx. 750g
180g caster sugar 
300ml whole milk 
300ml double cream 
1 vanilla pod
6 egg yolks 
unsalted butter, to grease 
demerara sugar, to sprinkle 
pouring cream, to serve (optional)

Method 

Grease an 8x12inch deep oven dish with butter. Place the sultanas and orange juice into a bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Cover and leave to soak until needed.

Place the milk, double cream and vanilla into a saucepan over medium heat until just under a simmer. Leave to one side until needed. Weigh out the sugar and place a large saucepan on low heat. Sprinkle roughly a quarter of the sugar into the saucepan in an even layer. Cook the sugar until it starts to melt and caramelise on the edges. Gently push any un-melted sugar from the middle to the edges until it is nearly all melted. Add the next quarter of sugar and repeat the process, trying not to let any of the caramel burn and not to stir it too much or it will crystalise and go lumpy. Continue this until all of your sugar is caramelised and a light golden colour.

As soon as the caramel is ready, very slowly pour in the warm milk mixture a little at a time. Be very careful here as the caramel will bubble up. Gently whisk to combine before gradually adding the rest of the milk mixture. Once added, place the pan back on the stove and re-heat until all of the caramel has melted and you have a smooth mixture.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Very slowly, pour in the hot caramel custard while whisking until it has all been added and you have your custard. When the custard is cool enough, remove the vanilla pods.

Slice your panettone into 12 wedges by cutting it in half, then cutting each half into 6. Lay half of the slices into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle over half of the soaked sultanas, leaving any excess liquid behind. Pour over half of the caramel custard and repeat with the remaining panettone, sultanas and custard. Push down the panettone to ensure it is all soaking up that delicious custard. Cover and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 150°C. 

Once soaked, sprinkle a generous handful of demerara sugar over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. The pudding is done when you press the centre and little of the custard peeps out. You don’t want it completely dry or it won’t be lovely and gooey. Serve warm with pouring cream.