Panettone bread and butter pudding

Good bread and butter pudding is heavenly nostalgia. It is also straightforward to make, with minimal weighing, measuring or in-depth technical knowledge necessary. As the Great British Bake Off raises the stakes of home baking, it’s sometimes nice to remember that simplicity is ok, and buying a few good ingredients and turning them into something wonderful works just as well.

I make my bread and butter pudding with panettone, the Italian sweet Christmas bread that I’ve been in love with ever since my dad brought one home every year just before Christmas - a gift from the Italian restaurant underneath his office. You can also use leftover croissants, pain au chocolat or brioche for a decadent take on this classic. Make it you own sprinkled with chopped chocolate, candied peel, finely chopped dried apricots or sultanas soaked in rum.