PUDDING of LOAF

Ingredients

• 480 ml (approximately ½ seer) milk (First Variety) (Whole milk works best. ½ seer is roughly 480 ml.)
• 120 g (approximately ½ powa) loaf bread, broken into fragments (First Variety) (½ powa is roughly 120 g. Use plain white bread, crusts included or removed as preferred. Break into small pieces by hand.)
• 2 yolks egg yolks (First Variety) (Separate the yolks from the whites carefully. The whites are not used in this recipe.)
• 120 g (approximately ½ powa) sugar (First Variety) (½ powa is roughly 120 g. Use white granulated sugar.)
• 1 quantity, to taste fruit jelly, any variety (First Variety) (Use any fruit jelly you have on hand — strawberry, raspberry, or guava all work well. Add as much or as little as you like.)
• 1 pinch, to taste powdered mace (First Variety) (Mace is the spice that surrounds nutmeg. Use a very small amount — a little goes a long way.)
• 1 quantity, enough to grease the pan butter (Second Variety) (Use softened butter to coat the bottom and sides of the baking pan generously.)
• 1 quantity, enough to fill the pan in layers loaf bread, sliced (Second Variety) (Slice the bread to a medium thickness. You need enough slices to layer from the bottom to the top of the pan.)
• 1 quantity, enough to layer between bread slices raisins (Second Variety) (Distribute raisins evenly between each layer of bread slices.)
• 1 quantity, enough to soak all layers milk (Second Variety) (Pour enough milk to just reach the top of the layered bread. The original text describes this as being mixed with sugar and egg yolks before pouring.)
• 1 quantity, to taste sugar (Second Variety) (Stir into the milk before pouring over the bread layers.)
• 1 quantity, to taste egg yolks (Second Variety) (Beat lightly and mix into the milk with the sugar before pouring over the bread layers.)
• 1 pinch salt (Second Variety) (Add just a pinch to the milk mixture for the second variety.)

Instructions

1. 1Pour 480 ml (½ seer) of milk into a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat. Watch it closely and heat until it just comes to a boil — you will see small bubbles forming around the edges and then a vigorous boil in the centre. As soon as it boils, immediately add the 120 g (½ powa) of loaf bread that you have broken into small fragments by hand. Stir briefly to submerge all the bread in the hot milk, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
2. 2Set the saucepan aside and allow the bread and milk mixture to cool completely to room temperature. This is important — if the mixture is still hot when you add the egg yolks in the next step, the eggs will scramble instead of blending in smoothly. You can speed this up by transferring the mixture to a bowl and placing it in a cool spot. The bread will absorb most of the milk and soften into a thick, porridge-like consistency.
3. 3Once the mixture is fully cold, separate 2 eggs — crack each egg and pass the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the shell, letting the white fall away into a separate bowl. Add both yolks to the cooled bread mixture. Add 120 g (½ powa) of sugar, a spoonful or two of your chosen fruit jelly, and a small pinch of powdered mace. Mix everything together thoroughly until well combined and uniform in texture.
4. 4Transfer the mixture into a suitable ovenproof dish or baking pan. Place it in an oven preheated to 160°C (320°F) and bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the pudding is set and lightly golden on top. Alternatively, if following the original stovetop method, place the covered pan in a larger pan of simmering water (a bain-marie) and heat gently for about 30 minutes. The pudding is done when it feels firm to a gentle touch in the centre. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
5. 5For the second variety, start with a clean baking pan or deep ovenproof dish. Take a piece of softened butter and use it to generously coat the bottom and all the sides of the pan. You can use your fingers, a piece of paper towel, or a pastry brush to spread the butter evenly into every corner. This prevents the pudding from sticking when it bakes.
6. 6Slice the loaf bread to a medium thickness (about 1–2 cm). Place a single layer of bread slices flat across the bottom of the buttered pan, covering it as evenly as you can. Scatter a handful of raisins over the bread layer. Continue layering — bread slices, then raisins — alternating until you reach the top (brim) of the pan. Finish with a layer of bread on top.
7. 7In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork until smooth. Add the sugar and a pinch of salt, and stir to combine. Pour in the milk and mix everything together until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is well combined. Slowly pour this milk mixture over the layered bread and raisins in the pan. Allow it to settle for a minute or two so the bread begins to absorb the liquid. The liquid should come close to the top of the bread layers.
8. 8Place the pan in an oven preheated to 160°C (320°F) and bake for approximately 1 hour (60 minutes). The pudding is ready when the top is golden brown and the custard-like filling is set — it should not wobble when you gently shake the pan. If the top begins to brown too quickly before the centre is set, loosely cover the pan with a piece of foil and continue baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving warm.