Chocolate Bread Pudding

• 1 (12-inch) piece day-old baguette, cut into 1/3-inch slices, then slices halved crosswise (4 cups)
• 3 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 10 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
• 6 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
• Accompaniment: unsweetened whipped cream

1. Generously butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart souffle dish.
2. Put bread in dish.
3. 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.
4. Remove from heat and add chocolate, then let stand 2 minutes.
5. Whisk until smooth.
6. Lightly beat eggs together in a large bowl and slowly add chocolate mixture, whisking until combined.
7. Stir in vanilla.
8. Pour mixture over bread and let soak at room temperature, pressing bread down occasionally, 1 hour.
9. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325F.
10. Dot top of pudding with butter bits.
11. Bake in a hot water bath until edge is set but center still trembles slightly, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
12. Cool pudding to warm in dish on a rack.
13. (Pudding will continue to set as it cools.)

baguette, sugar, salt, bittersweet chocolate, eggs, vanilla, unsalted butter, accompaniment

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chocolate-bread-pudding-109128 (may not work)