French Toast Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1 challah weighing 450 g.
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 large eggs
• 1 bar (85g) semi-sweet chocolate, divided into 12 pieces
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• Powdered sugar, for serving
• Natural maple syrup, for serving

Preparation:

1. Slice the bread lengthwise into 2.5 cm thick strips, cutting as deeply as possible without cutting all the way through. Rotate the bread 90 degrees and slice the other way, without cutting all the way through. Place the loaf in a 1.5 quart oval baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and eggs until smooth. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, making sure it gets into all the crevices. Tuck chocolate chips between the layers. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 160°C.
4. Uncover the bread and drizzle it with melted butter. Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan and pour hot water into the roasting pan to come up the sides of the smaller dish by 2.5 cm. Bake until the custard is completely set and the top of the bread is deep golden and crisp, 60-65 minutes. Remove from the oven and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with maple syrup for dipping.