Mary Berry has shared a simple yet impressive recipe for a summer pudding loaf, featured on the BBC series Mary Berry Cooks and its accompanying cookbook. This dessert transforms leftover bread and mixed berries into a visually striking and delicious treat, ideal for summer entertaining.
Recipe Overview
Unlike traditional summer puddings, which can be tricky to assemble, Mary Berry's version is straightforward and slices neatly. The recipe requires preparation a day in advance, as the loaf needs to soak overnight in the refrigerator.
According to the recipe, the pudding serves 12 people and uses 1.5 kilograms of mixed summer berries, including blueberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, raspberries, blackberries, and loganberries. It also requires 400 grams of caster sugar and one large unsliced white tin loaf, ideally two to three days old.
Step-by-Step Method
To begin, line a 900-gram loaf tin (or two 450-gram tins) with clingfilm and grease with butter. Prepare the fruit by removing leaves and stalks. Place blueberries, redcurrants, and blackcurrants in a pan with sugar and 75 milliliters of water, then bring to a boil. Cook for two to three minutes until the berries soften and burst, being careful not to overcook. Raspberries, blackberries, and loganberries should be added at the end, as they do not need cooking unless you are not using the other berries.
Remove the crusts from the bread and slice the loaf lengthways into medium-thick pieces. Brush one side of each slice with the berry juice from the pan. Line the tin with bread, juice side down, trimming to fit. Spoon berry juice over the base to saturate the bread, then layer in the fruit gradually. Seal the top with bread, ensuring no gaps, and spoon additional juice over the top to turn it red. Reserve about half of the berries for serving.
Overnight Setting and Serving
Cover the tin with clingfilm and place a heavy object on top, such as a tin of baked beans, to compress the mixture. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, invert the loaf onto a plate, remove the clingfilm, and slice. Serve with the reserved berries and any remaining juice.
Mary Berry describes this pudding as 'timeless,' highlighting its ability to reduce food waste while delivering a stunning dessert for guests.
