Recipe information
Total Time
2¼ hours
Yield
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Generously butter a 2½ to 3-quart soufflé dish. Put bread in dish.
Step 2
Heat half-and-half, sugar, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and add chocolate, then let stand 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Lightly beat eggs together in a large bowl and slowly add chocolate mixture, whisking until combined. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over bread and let soak at room temperature, pressing bread down occasionally, 1 hour.
Step 3
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F.
Step 4
Dot top of pudding with butter bits. Bake in a hot water bath until edge is set but center still trembles slightly, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool pudding to warm in dish on a rack. (Pudding will continue to set as it cools.)
