Preheat Your Oven: Set your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and allow it to preheat while you prepare the pudding.

Prepare Bread Cubes: Take your day-old bread and cut it into small cubes. Place these cubes evenly in a small baking dish, ensuring they cover the bottom evenly.

Mix Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, honey, beaten eggs, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix them together until they form a smooth mixture.

Add Milk: Slowly pour the hot milk into the honey mixture while whisking continuously. This ensures that the milk combines smoothly with the other ingredients.

Optional Cream Addition: If you desire a creamier texture, you can add the double cream (if available) into the mixture at this stage and continue to mix until fully incorporated.

Pour Mixture Over Bread: Once the milk is fully mixed in, pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes in the baking dish. Ensure all the bread cubes are soaked in the mixture.

Optional Nut Topping: If you like, sprinkle chopped walnuts over the top of the pudding for added flavor and texture.

Set Up for Baking: Place the baking dish containing the bread pudding inside a larger dish. Then, carefully pour water into the outer dish until it reaches about one inch deep. This water bath helps to ensure even cooking and prevents the pudding from drying out.

Bake: Put the setup into the preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) for 35-40 minutes, or until the pudding is set. You can check for doneness by inserting a knife into the center – if it comes out clean, the pudding is ready.

Serve: Once baked, remove the pudding from the oven and allow it to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy your delicious homemade honey bread pudding!