Savoury bread pudding cake with pumpkin, prunes and goat's cheese

Photo: Emiko Davies

A Tuscan way to use up stale bread: soaked in warm milk, mixed with goat's curd, browned pumpkin, prunes and walnuts and baked into a loaf. Best the next day, toasted in butter.

From Emiko Davies · @emikodavies

Halfway between French toast and a savory cake, it's brunch, lunch with a bitter salad, or a slice with a glass of wine.

You need

• 400 g (14 oz) stale country-style bread or sourdough (about half a large loaf)
• 500 to 700 ml (2 to 3 cups) warm milk
• 120 g (4 oz) pumpkin, diced (kabocha, Mantovana or butternut)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 70 g (5 tbsp) butter, melted, plus more for the tin
• 200 g (7 oz) caprino (soft goat's curd or fresh goat cheese)
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• A generous pinch of salt
• 100 g (3½ oz) dried prunes, roughly chopped
• 70 g (2½ oz) walnut pieces

How to make it

1. Cut the bread into thick cubes and put it in a bowl. Pour over 500 ml warm milk and leave 15 minutes, until soft enough to crumble with your hands (very hard bread may need the full 700 ml, or an overnight soak in the fridge). Cut off any crusts that stay hard.
2. Crumble the bread into a rough paste by hand (or pulse it briefly with a stick blender).
3. Cook the diced pumpkin in the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender and well browned around the edges. Let it cool.
4. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a large loaf tin and line it with parchment.
5. In a small bowl, mix the eggs, melted butter and goat's cheese with a fork until roughly combined. Stir it evenly through the bread, along with the baking powder and salt. Fold in the walnuts, prunes and pumpkin.
6. Pour into the tin, smooth the top and bake about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and springs back when pressed.
7. Cool 10 minutes, then turn out. Eat it warm, or the next day cut into thick slices, browned in a pan and topped with good butter.

Written in our own words from Emiko Davies's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Savoury bread pudding cake with pumpkin, prunes and goat's cheese, Emiko Davies.

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