The quintessential staple of French cuisine is the humble baguette, but the country’s bread baking tradition – along with variations taken from other world cultures – offers a vast repertoire. These recipes turn simple bread into fantastic desserts...

Bread & butter pudding

90g (3oz) butter, divided

200g (7oz) blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries

250ml ( 9flo z) whole milk finely grated zest of 1 lemon,

preferably organic

2 tbsp orange flower water

3 free-range eggs

75g (2¾oz) sugar, divided

6 large slices pain de mie (Pullman loaf)

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4 and grease a 22x14cm (8½×5½in) baking dish with 1 tbsp of the butter. Wash the berries and pat them dry.

2 Combine the milk, lemon zest and orange flower water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

3 In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and 50g (1¾oz) of the sugar.

4 Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Cut each slice of pain de mie in half and brush generously with the melted butter. Arrange the slices in the prepared dish, making an attractive pattern. Scatter the fruit between the slices, then pour in the milk, followed by the egg/sugar mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the custard is set and the bread is deeply golden.