Strata is a classic dish that is also a marvellous way to use up stale bread, odds and ends of cheese, and whatever vegetables or meat you have left over. It’s endlessly adaptable, and great for feeding a crowd or prepping ahead for a laid-back breakfast or brunch.
Strata, or savoury bread pudding
Strata involves layering custard-soaked bread in a buttered dish, and covering it in more custard, plenty of cheese and just about whatever other flavoursome ingredients take your fancy. Cubed bread seems to be common in many recipes, but, as a big fan of the quintessential British bread-and-butter pudding, I’ve used sliced bread instead (I was surprised to learn that this American-style savoury bread pudding has been around since the early 1900s – one of the earliest recipes appears in Juniata L Shepperd’s book Handbook of Household Science, published in 1902).
I flavoured my strata with chopped spinach, roast leeks and sun-dried tomato paste, a combination that I can very much vouch for, but I would recommend working with whatever you’ve got to hand. Conjure your inner chef and create your own delicious flavour combination of one, two, three or more main ingredients.
Serves 6
600ml whole milk
150g grated cheese – gruyere, cheddar, blue cheese, parmesan
50g parmesan rind (optional)
1 tbsp dijon mustard (optional)
3 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped to get 1 tsp leaves (optional)
¼ tsp grated nutmeg, or to taste (optional)
5 medium eggs
Salt and black pepper
500g old bread (sourdough, wholemeal, brioche), sliced
200-400g optional fillings (choose 1, 2 or 3), all chopped – spring onions, cherry tomatoes, frozen spinach (defrosted and squeezed dry), leftover roast vegetables or sauteed mushrooms, cooked sliced sausage, bacon lardons or ham.
Additional flavourings (all optional and to taste)
Pesto
Sun-dried tomato paste, or chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Soft goat’s cheese
First make the custard, heat the milk in a saucepan with 100g of the grated cheese and any of optional flavourings. Stir until the mix begins to boil, then take off the heat. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then gradually pour in the hot milk mixture, whisking all the while, and season to taste.
Prepare and chop all your optional fillings. Pour enough of the custard mix into a large enamel dish or deep roasting tin to cover the base, then scatter a third of your fillings on top.
Working one slice at a time, dip the bread into the custard, then layer in the dish. Pour over the remaining custard, ensuring the bread is evenly soaked, then scatter the fillings on top and dot with any of the optional extra flavourings. Finish with the remaining 50g grated cheese, then lay another dish or tray on top, gently press down to submerge the bread, and leave to sit for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour.
Lift off the top dish, then bake the strata ina 210C (190C fan)/410F/gas 6½ oven for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot or warm.
