Back to Sauce Savory
Bread Sauce
Serves 4 Prep 5 min Cook 55 min Total 1 hr

Bread Sauce

The perfect traditional sauce to accompany a roast dinner.

Serves 4 Prep 5 minutes Cook 55 minutes Units Rate

Overview

A traditional, creamy sauce featuring bread softened in milk infused with clove-studded onion. This homely accompaniment to roasted poultry brings subtle spice and gentle texture from breadcrumbs, topped with silky cream finish.

Ingredients

Base & aromatics

  • 20 grams butter
  • 60 grams onion (chopped)
  • 400 ml milk
  • 1 onion (peeled)
  • 2 cloves

Bread & finishing

  • 80 grams white bread (crusts removed and cut into cubes)
  • 50 ml double cream
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper

Method

Stage 1 - Infuse milk

  1. Insert the cloves in to the onion. Melt the butter in a small saucepan, and add the chopped onions and sweat gently for 1 minute.
  2. Pour in the milk and add the clove-studded onion and bring to a bare simmer.
  3. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Stage 2 - Add bread

  1. Stir in the bread cubes and bring to the boil.
  2. Lower the heat and cook the sauce gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Stage 3 - Finish

  1. Remove the studded onion, add the cream and let the sauce bubble gently for 5 minutes, whisking delicately.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Notes

  • Bread selection: Use white bread, not wholemeal; white bread dissolves smoothly while wholemeal remains grainy.
  • Cooking time: Long, gentle cooking allows bread to fully dissolve; rushing results in a lumpy sauce.
  • Onion removal: The clove-studded onion must be removed before serving to prevent unexpected cloves in diners' mouths.

Serving

Serve warm alongside roasted chicken, turkey, gamebirds, and other roasted poultry.

Storage

  • Keeps refrigerated for 2 days in an airtight container.
  • Freezes well for up to 1 month.
  • Best eaten warm; reheat gently over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

More like this

1 / 4
Dal Makhani

Dal Makhani

Whole black urad lentils and a small handful of red kidney beans are soaked overnight, then pressure-cooked or simmered until completely tender. A tomato-and-spice masala is built separately with onion, garlic, ginger and a careful hand with the spices. The lentils are folded into the masala and simmered, low and slow, for two hours, while butter and cream are stirred through in the final stage. The lentils break down into a glossy, almost-velvet finish.

Indian 3 hours 15 minutes Serves6