Chocolate Sourdough Ice Cream (Printable)
Rich dark chocolate meets tangy sourdough for a uniquely creamy frozen treat with unexpected depth.
# What You'll Need:
→ Ice Cream Base
01 - 1 1/2 cups whole milk
02 - 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
03 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
04 - 4 large egg yolks
05 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
→ Chocolate Mixture
06 - 4 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped
07 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
→ Sourdough Addition
08 - 1/2 cup active sourdough starter (unfed discard, room temperature)
# How To Make It:
01 - In a medium saucepan, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, and half of the granulated sugar. Warm gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to steam but does not reach a boil.
02 - In a separate mixing bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and salt until the mixture turns pale yellow and falls in thick ribbons from the whisk.
03 - Slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the yolk bowl in a thin, steady stream while whisking constantly to prevent scrambling. Once fully combined, return the tempered mixture to the saucepan.
04 - Cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a spatula or wooden spoon, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer.
05 - Remove the saucepan from heat and immediately add the chopped dark chocolate and cocoa powder. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is glossy and smooth.
06 - Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked egg bits. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
07 - Once the base has reached room temperature, whisk in the sourdough starter until completely blended and no streaks remain.
08 - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, until thoroughly chilled.
09 - Pour the chilled base into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a thick, soft-serve consistency.
10 - Transfer the churned ice cream to an airtight lidded container, smooth the top, and freeze for at least 2 hours to firm up before scooping and serving.
# Tips from dashanddishes:
01 -
- That sourdough tang is barely noticeable at first but it keeps people guessing and coming back for another taste, which makes it the best conversation starter dessert you will ever serve.
- The texture is absurdly silky thanks to a properly tempered custard base, and you get to feel like a wizard for using something most people throw away.
02 -
- The custard can scramble in seconds if your heat is too high, so keep the burner on low and stir without stopping once you return the tempered mixture to the stove.
- Temperature matters for the sourdough addition. If you whisk it into hot custard the wild yeast flavor gets cooked out and you lose that signature tang entirely.
03 -
- Strain the custard twice if you are a perfectionist, because even one tiny cooked egg fragment will haunt you when you find it in your ice cream.
- Chill your storage container in the freezer while the machine churns so the ice cream goes from cold to colder instead of encountering a room temperature plastic box.