Chocolate Sourdough Ice Cream (Printable version)
A luscious chocolate ice cream enriched with tangy sourdough for deep flavor and subtle complexity.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chocolate Base
01 - 5.3 oz dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa), finely chopped
02 - 1.4 oz unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - ¾ cup plus 1½ tbsp whole milk
04 - 1¼ cups heavy cream
05 - ½ cup granulated sugar
→ Sourdough Mixture
06 - ½ cup plus 1 tbsp active sourdough starter (unfed within the last 6 hours)
→ Eggs
07 - 4 large egg yolks
→ Flavorings & Seasoning
08 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
09 - ¼ tsp fine sea salt
# How to Make It:
01 - In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk, heavy cream, and half of the granulated sugar. Set over medium heat and warm until the mixture is steaming but not boiling.
02 - Add the chopped dark chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder to the saucepan. Whisk constantly until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
03 - In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining granulated sugar until the mixture turns pale and becomes slightly thickened.
04 - Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot chocolate mixture into the yolk bowl while whisking constantly to gradually raise the temperature without scrambling the eggs. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan.
05 - Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a spatula or whisk, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 175°F on an instant-read thermometer.
06 - Immediately remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and fine sea salt until evenly distributed.
07 - Allow the custard to cool to room temperature, then whisk in the active sourdough starter until fully incorporated and no streaks remain.
08 - Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until the mixture is thoroughly chilled.
09 - Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions, typically 20 to 25 minutes, until it reaches a soft-serve consistency.
10 - Transfer the churned ice cream to a freezer-safe container, smoothing the top with a spatula. Freeze for at least 2 hours until fully firm.
11 - Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping. Serve in bowls or cones with optional garnishes.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- The tang from the starter cuts through the richness of dark chocolate in a way that makes each scoop impossible to stop eating.
- It sounds weird to everyone until they taste it, and then they quietly ask for the recipe.
02 -
- If your sourdough starter was recently fed, the flavor will be milder and slightly less interesting, so use discard that has been sitting for a while.
- The custard must cool completely before you add the starter, because heat will kill the live cultures and mute the tang.
03 -
- Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve before chilling to catch any cooked egg bits and guarantee a perfectly smooth final product.
- Chill your freezer safe container in the freezer while the ice cream churns so the transfer does not cause any melting.