Vegan Summer Pudding

Hull and halve any large strawberries, strip currants from their stalks, and measure all berries into a wide saucepan. Measure out the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Remove crusts from the bread. Cut one slice into a round to fit the base of a 1-litre pudding basin, then cut the remaining slices into fingers wide enough to line the sides with no gaps.

Add the sugar, water, and lemon juice to the berries and stir gently to combine. Set aside to macerate for 15 minutes at room temperature until the sugar begins to dissolve and the juices start to release.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring gently, for 4–5 minutes until the sugar has fully dissolved and the berries have softened slightly but still hold their shape — the juice should be deeply coloured and syrupy. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Ladle a few tablespoons of the warm berry juice into the bottom of the pudding basin and swirl to coat. Press the bread round into the base, then stand the bread fingers snugly around the sides, overlapping slightly to leave no gaps. Reserve 3–4 tablespoons of juice in a small bowl.

Spoon all the berries and remaining juice into the lined basin, pressing gently to compact. Lay the remaining bread slices over the top, trimming to fit so the berries are completely enclosed.

Brush the reserved juice generously over the bread lid. Cover the surface with cling film, set a small plate on top that fits just inside the basin, and weight it with a heavy tin or jar.

Refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours, ideally overnight, until the bread is fully saturated and deeply stained throughout.

To serve, remove the weight and cling film, run a palette knife around the edge, place a serving plate firmly on top, and invert in one confident motion. Patch any pale spots on the bread with the remaining reserved juice using a pastry brush. Slice and serve with coconut cream or vegan whipped cream.