Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Slice the bread thinly.

Spread the syrup over half the bread slices. Top with raisins and cover with the remaining slices of bread to make sandwiches. Butter the dish and press the sandwiches into the dish.

To make the custard mixture, heat the cream and milk. Beat in the eggs and add the vanilla.

Pour the custard mixture over the bread. Leave to soak for 15 minutes. Bake for 45 minutes, until set but still wobbly.

Serve with a jug of warm custard, runny cream or a dollop of crème fraîche. Eat the pudding warm – it tastes better than straight out of the oven.