Chocolate Bread Pudding with Benne Ice Cream

steps

Chocolate Brioche

1. Combine dry ingredients until fully incorporated. Add buttermilk and eggs. Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, mix on medium-low speed to a smooth consistency. Let stand 20 minutes.
2. Add room-temperature butter and mix until fully incorporated, about 4 minutes. Proof dough for two hours, then place in  9 3×5-inch bread tins and proof 1½–2 hours more. Bake at 375–400 degrees for 20 minutes, turning halfway.

The Custard

1. Combine eggs and sugar and mix well.
2. Melt chocolate over a double boiler and add enough half-and-half to make a runny ganache. Temper eggs and sugar mixture with ganache. Add any remaining half-and-half. Add salt and stir.

To Combine

1. Cube brioche and soak in bowl of ganache mixture overnight in refrigerator, turning occasionally to make sure it’s soaked evenly.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray 21”x 13” pan with vegetable oil spray, line with parchment, and spray again.
3. Pack custard and bread mixture into pan and cover with two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of foil.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and plastic wrap and bake until fully set, about 20 minutes more. Serve warm with Benne Ice Cream and caramel.

Benne Ice Cream

1. Heat the milk and heavy cream to 160 degrees.
2. In separate bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar, and salt and stir until pale yellow. Slowly temper yolks with milk and cream and cook mixture to 172 degrees.
3. Strain through fine-mesh sieve and chill over ice bath. Let custard rest overnight. 4. Add benne seeds and load into ice cream freezer. As mixture starts to thicken, add benne oil. Freeze according to manufacturer’s instruction.
   Yield: 2 quarts