behold, the power of butterscotch pudding

Remember that pudding-based sourdough bread I made a while back? I said that I’d try it again, and I did.


This time, the pudding being put to use was butterscotch-flavored. I know made-from-scratch is always better, but that’s a somewhat complex recipe and the boxed version is awfully tasty. Awfully--such an appropriate adverb since I feel guilty for enjoying something with so many chemicals, modified starches, preservatives, and the like.

But enjoy it I do, and I suspected that it would make for a knockout bread. I considered using chocolate chips or toffee bits as an add-in, but in the end I opted for diced dried apples. Had I used the sweet stuff, the end result might’ve been too rich (not for me, mind you, but for those of typical palates).

The bread was fantastic. There was definitely a subtle caramel-brown sugar-butterscotchy thing going on, but it was never the slightest bit overwhelming. The apples contributed a nice tart zing and the overall texture was lovely.


So soft. So satisfying.

Was it better than the version made with coconut pudding? Gracious, that’s a toughie. If you threatened to take away my cinnamon if I didn’t pick one or the other, I’d have to say the tropical version takes it by a hair (not by a hair found in any of my baked goods, of course)(I always wear a hairnet when I cook...don’t you?).

Butterscotch Friendship Bread
(personalized from this recipe)

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup pear baby food
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sourdough starter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 (3.4 oz) boxes instant butterscotch pudding
1 cup chopped dried apples

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease down whatever molds you intend to use (I filled up 8 mini loaves).
In a large bowl, mix the oil, pear puree, eggs, milk, starter, vanilla, and sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, pudding mix, and apples. Add this to the liquid mixture and stir thoroughly.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until done. Apparently, this takes at least an hour for regular loaves, and took around 45 minutes for my mini loaves. Cool completely before slicing.