British Bread Sauce is the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas dinner. As the name suggests, it is a traditional sauce made with bread, milk and warm winter spices!
The basic bread sauce recipe is to infuse the milk with flavour, add breadcrumbs and cook until the sauce thickens. It is then finished off with butter and cream.
This delicious bread sauce is infused with all the wonderful flavours of Christmas – nutmeg, bay leaf and clove. Thanks to the butter and cream, it is deliciously rich and creamy.
I love it at Christmas with a vegetarian roast and oven roasted potatoes !
Ingredients
White bread – one-day old white bread slices with crusts removed to make white breadcrumbs
Full fat milk
Cream – I’ve used single cream but you can use double cream too
Butter – I have used unsalted.
Onion – peeled, left whole
Cloves
Whole black peppercorns
Bay leaf
Freshly grated nutmeg – you can use nutmeg powder as an alternative
Salt to taste
Make it vegan
It is an easy switch to make vegan bread sauce. Use vegan butter instead of the regular butter.
For the milk, go for oat milk which is creamy and doesn’t impart too much of its own flavour. Soy milk is another alternative. Plant based creams can be used too.
If serving to guests, check for allergies or intolerances to plant based milks.
How to make Bread Sauce
1.Firstly stud the onion with the cloves.
2.In a saucepan, pour milk and add the clove-studded onion, whole black pepper, and bay leaf.
3.On medium heat, bring the mixture to the boil, stir occasionally to prevent the milk sticking at the bottom.
4.Turn off the heat and cover the pan with the lid and let the milk infuse for an hour.
5.Meanwhile, make bread crumbs in a mixer or food processor. You can also tear the bread up into small pieces.
6.After an hour, remove the onion, peppercorns and bay leaf.
7.Add breadcrumbs to the infused milk and add little butter.
8.Return the saucepan to heat and keep stirring to prevent burning at the bottom
9.Once the sauce gets thicker turn off the heat, add cream and remaining butter.
10.Serve the sauce in a serving bowl or jug and sprinkle the sauce with the freshly grated nutmeg.
Different ways to infuse the milk
You can infuse the milk on the hob or warm it in a microwave. Use a microwave safe bowl, heat the milk in bursts to prevent it bubbling over. Heat until it is warm through.
Add the studded onion, clove, bay leaf and nutmeg and allow to sit for 1 hour.
Personally, I think it is easier to use the stove – why give yourself extra washing up to do!
Pro Tips
Do not use fresh bread which can become mushy when added to bread sauce. Use day old bread for best results.
Instead of bread slices, you can use store-bought or homemade bread crumbs.
Use whole milk or full fat milk where possible as semi skimmed milk takes longer to thicken and will likely need more bread.
Use fresh ingredients where possible – for example, freshly grated nutmeg is miles better than the powdered version! Apart from the bread of course – which should be stale
If preparing in advance, ensure the milk and cream has plenty of use-by date left on it
Add the bread little by little as the sauce thickens fast – you may not need all of the bread
You may need to add more milk if serving later – the bread sauce thickens up pretty quickly
If the sauce is not thickening, add more breadcrumbs.
Ensure to stir the sauce to prevent burning.
Serving Suggestion
There are so many vegan (external link) and vegetarian centrepieces. My favourite is this paneer and cranberry nut roast .
For sides, go for veggies such as Air Fryer Parsnips , roasted carrots and brussels sprouts
I love to dip in these Parmentier Potatoes .
Alongside bread sauce, I always serve this Instant Pot cranberry sauce .
For a creamy side that uses cream or cheese, try these Cardamom Dauphinoise Potatoes or Christmas Corn.
Storage
Store leftover bread sauce in the fridge where it will keep fresh for around 2-3 days.
You can also prepare bread sauce ahead of time and freeze for convenience. Allow the bread sauce to cool completely and place in a freezer safe container or freezer bags. Freeze for up to 1 month. To defrost, thaw overnight in the fridge or defrost in the microwave. Reheat gently on the stove.
Other Sauce Recipes
Poppadom Dips
Yogurt Sauce
Basil Sauce
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Bread Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread stale, crusts removed
- 300 millilitres whole milk
- 25 millilitres cream
- 20 gram butter
- 1 onion whole white onion, peeled
- 6-8 cloves
- 8-10 black peppercorn
- 1 bay leaf
- pinch ground nutmeg freshly grated is best
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Firstly, stud the onion with the cloves.
- In a saucepan, pour milk and add the studded onion, whole black pepper and bay leaf.
- On medium heat, bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- Turn off the heat and cover the pan with the lid and let the milk infuse for an hour or simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make bread crumbs in a mixer or food processor.
- Once infused, remove the onion, peppercorns and bay leaf.
- Add breadcrumbs to the infused milk and add half the butter.
- Return the saucepan to heat and keep stirring
- Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat, add salt, cream and the remaining butter.
- Serve the sauce in a serving bowl or jug and sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First time published in December 2017.
Recipe inspiration – Delia Online
Bread Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread stale, crusts removed
- 300 millilitres whole milk
- 25 millilitres cream
- 20 gram butter
- 1 onion whole white onion, peeled
- 6-8 cloves
- 8-10 black peppercorn
- 1 bay leaf
- pinch ground nutmeg freshly grated is best
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Firstly, stud the onion with the cloves.
- In a saucepan, pour milk and add the studded onion, whole black pepper and bay leaf.
- On medium heat, bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- Turn off the heat and cover the pan with the lid and let the milk infuse for an hour or simmer on low heat for another 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make bread crumbs in a mixer or food processor.
- Once infused, remove the onion, peppercorns and bay leaf.
- Add breadcrumbs to the infused milk and add half the butter.
- Return the saucepan to heat and keep stirring
- Once the sauce thickens, turn off the heat, add salt, cream and the remaining butter.
- Serve the sauce in a serving bowl or jug and sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Winter is the best season when we are lucky to get and enjoy a wide variety of vegetables, and cabbage is one of them. In Gujarati it is known as ‘Kobi’ and in Hindi ‘Patta Gobi’.
KOBI BATETA NU SAAK
This delicious and easy Gujarati style sabji is prepared with white cabbage, potato and basic Indian spices. It is made without onion and garlic. It is basically a stir fry.
We love cabbage and I do prepare so many dishes with it whether it’s Cabbage paratha or Cabbage Muthia, Cabbage No Sambharo or Cabbage soup .
When I am in a mood of eating authentic and rustic dishes, I love to eat this cabbage sabzi along with Bajra Na Rotla (millet flour flatbread) and garlic chutney , otherwise, it’s perfect as a side dish with Gujarati Daal , Rice, and Roti (chapati) to make a complete meal. This Cucumber Raita also goes great.
We would have Gujarati Toor Dal or Gujarati Kadhi with it.
Make your own Gujarati Thali for a delicious weekend meal.
Kobi Batata nu Shaak Ingredients
Cabbage – white cabbage works better than green cabbage
Potatoes – peel and cut into potato cubes
Mustard seeds
Hing (asafoetida)
Ginger and green chili – crushed
Spice powders: red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala
Tomatoes – I use a cut fresh tomato, you can also use tinned tomato
Oil – I have used olive oil
Variations:
You can also add green peas (vatana), fresh or frozen as well.
Other Indian Sabji Recipes
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KOBI BATETA NU SHAAK – CABBAGE AND POTATO CURRY
Ingredients
- 500 grams white cabbage core removed and cabbage thinly sliced
- 200 grams potatoes
- 4 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- pinch hing
- 2 tablespoon crushed ginger-chillies
- 1 large tomato chopped
- 1 tablespoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin and coriander
- pinch garam masala
- salt to taste
- 3 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
- 3-4 drops lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat 4 tablespoon oil in a kadai and add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds .
- Once the mustard seeds splutter add pinch hing .
- Turn the heat down and add 500 grams white cabbage and 200 grams potatoes .
- Mix well and add 2 tablespoon crushed ginger-chillies .
- Add all the masala 1 tablespoon red chilli powder , 1 teaspoon turmeric powder , 1 tablespoon ground cumin and coriander pinch garam masala , and chopped 1 large tomato and salt to taste
- Mix well and cover the kadai or pan with lid.
- Keep the heat on low and let the sabji cook in its own steam.
- Stir frequently.
- After approximately 10 minutes, the sabji will be ready.
- You can check if the potatoes are tender. If not, cook for longer. Add a spoon of water to prevent burning if required.
- Stir in the 3 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and 3-4 drops lemon juice if using.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
