-
1
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
-
2
Brush bread all over with melted butter.
-
3
Arrange pieces on a rack and place in oven, turning until golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes.
-
4
Meanwhile, combine cream and milk in a saucepan and bring just to a boil.
-
5
Add sugar and stir until dissolved.
-
6
Put egg yolks in a large mixing bowl and add the hot cream mixture, a ladleful at a time, beating briskly with wire whisk.
-
7
Skim off any foam that accumulates on the surface.
-
8
Put chocolate in a mixing bowl.
-
9
Place bowl in a basin of simmering water and let stand until chocolate melts.
-
10
Add egg yolk mixture, a little at a time, to chocolate, stirring constantly.
-
11
Stir in vanilla.
-
12
In a baking dish measuring about 9 1/2 by 13 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches, arrange bread slices in two rows, the slices slightly overlapping.
-
13
Pour chocolate mixture over bread.
-
14
Let stand until some of the mixture is absorbed.
-
15
Cover the bread pudding with clear plastic wrap and cover this with a rectangular dish that fits inside the baking dish.
-
16
Add weights so the chocolate mixture barely covers all the bread and is absorbed by it.
-
17
Let stand about an hour.
-
18
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
-
19
Remove weights, rectangular dish and plastic wrap.
-
20
Cover top with aluminum foil, not letting it touch the chocolate filling.
-
21
Punch a few holes in the foil with a knife.
-
22
Seal foil around edges.
-
23
Place dish in a larger dish and pour boiling water around it.
-
24
Bring this to a boil on top of stove.
-
25
Place dish in its water bath in oven and bake about 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed and on touch it springs back and the top has a slight glossy look.
-
26
Serve warm, cut into squares with English custard on the side.
