Old-Fashioned Sliced Bread Pudding

Heat the oven to 300'F (150'C/Gas 2).

Lightly butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish.

Trim the crusts from the bread; butter them lightly with about 2 teaspoons of softened butter and arrange them in the baking dish. If the slices are smaller than a standard loaf size, trim extra slices so they will make a full layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Set aside.

Heat the milk in a saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling.

In a bowl, combine eggs, sugar and salt; stir well.

While whisking briskly, gradually stir about one-quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture. Add the remaining hot milk, stirring constantly.

Whisk the cinnamon and vanilla extract into the egg and milk mixture.

Sprinkle the raisins over bread, if you are using them.

Pour the milk mixture over bread.

Sprinkle ground nutmeg lightly over the pudding mixture.

Bake the bread pudding uncovered in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

To brown the top slightly, turn the broiler on and continue to cook for a minute or two or just until the top has browned.

Serve warm with vanilla sauce, a caramel sauce or purchased dessert sauce, as desired.