This post may contain affiliate links.
Bread Sauce, the classic roast meats accompaniment, is so delicious when made at home from scratch. This recipe makes it quick and easy!
Every Christmas, I say I’m not going to bother making Bread Sauce and every year I do make it because I can’t help but succumb to a spoonful or two of it.
It’s out of fashion now perhaps, but I couldn’t write a collection of Christmas recipes and not include it as this creamy, comforting, lightly spiced sauce is such a classic.
Just like my Cranberry Sauce, Gravy and Pigs in Blankets, you can always go for shop-bought if you prefer, but if you love the tradition of homemade dishes during the festive season, this is such an easy one to serve.
Why is this the best Bread Sauce recipe?
⭐️ Full of flavour and nostalgia
⭐️ Low effort, simple ingredients
⭐️ Can be made ahead of time
What is Bread Sauce?
Bread Sauce is part of a traditional British Christmas dinner as a condiment/side dish.
It is usually served hot (although can be eaten cold) and goes well alongside chicken as well as turkey.
It tastes savoury and spiced, and is utterly stodgy and comforting.
It’s said to date back to the Medieval times, when bread was used as a way of thickening sauces and using up stale loaves.
Get my Christmas cookbook!
This recipe is straight out of my ‘What’s For Christmas Dinner?’ book.
Homemade Bread Sauce Ingredients
- Milk – Go for whole or semi-skimmed if you can.
- Onion – Peel and chop into quarters.
- Flavouring – Bay leaves and whole peppercorns.
- Breadcrumbs – I use panko for this recipe, but you can use another type, including homemade.
- Double cream – Or heavy cream if you’re outside the UK.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – Season to taste.
How to make Bread Sauce
1. Heat the milk with the onion, bay leaves and peppercorns, as per the full recipe below. Turn it off the heat and set aside.
2. Pour the milk into a bowl through a sieve, removing the onion, bay leaves and peppercorns.
3. Return the milk to the pan, add the breadcrumbs and plenty of salt and pepper. Stir until the sauce is very thick.
4. Add the double cream and stir until hot through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
How to make ahead
You can make this up to 3 days in advance (keeping it covered in the fridge) and reheat it in the microwave or hob.
It will thicken further if you do this. Add a little more milk and/or cream to get the texture you’d like.
You can also freeze any leftovers and serve it with roast chicken at a later date.
More Christmas side dish recipes…
Side Dishes
Braised Red Cabbage
Side Dishes
Stuffing {with Sausage meat}
Side Dishes
Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
Christmas Recipes
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Chestnuts
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Bread Sauce {Easy Homemade Recipe}
Ingredients
- 400 ml (1.6 cups) Milk, Whole or semi-skimmed
- 1 Onion, Peeled and quartered
- 3 Bay leaves
- 15 Whole peppercorns, Approx.
- 75 g (2.6 oz) Breadcrumbs, Such as panko
- 4-6 tbsp Double cream
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, To taste
Instructions
- Heat the milk with the onion, bay leaves and peppercorns in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Allow it to come to the boil, so that the surface is bubbling, then turn it off the heat and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Pour the milk into a jug through a sieve, removing the onion, bay leaves and peppercorns (discard these). Return the milk to the pan over a low heat. Add the breadcrumbs and plenty of salt and pepper. Keep the heat low and stir continuously for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce is very thick.
- Add the double cream and stir over the low heat for about 1-2 minutes until hot through (add more double cream if you like, depending on how thick you like your bread sauce). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Did you make this recipe? Click here to let us know how it went! Your feedback helps us to make more recipes you really want 🧡
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
I have tried this out ahead of Christmas and it’s perfect! So much better than the shop stuff. Thank you Sarah!