The Perfect Scoop</a></strong> by David Lebovitz (Ten Speed Press, 2007); Focaccia recipe from Saltie, in Brooklyn; the brilliant idea to put the two together in perfect union by Marian Bull, a friend and former Food52 editor."> The Perfect Scoop</a></strong> by David Lebovitz (Ten Speed Press, 2007); Focaccia recipe from Saltie, in Brooklyn; the brilliant idea to put the two together in perfect union by Marian Bull, a friend and former Food52 editor.">

Chocolate

Chocolate Sorbet and Focaccia Ice Cream Sandwiches

July 22, 2015
4.7
3 Ratings
Photo by Mark Weinberg
  • Prep time 3 hours
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Makes 12 to 16 sandwiches, depending on the size of the bread you cut
Author Notes

Sorbet recipe from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz (Ten Speed Press, 2007); Focaccia recipe from Saltie, in Brooklyn; the brilliant idea to put the two together in perfect union by Marian Bull, a friend and former Food52 editor. —Kenzi Wilbur

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • David Lebovitz's Chocolate Sorbet
  • 2 1/4 cups (555 ml) water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup (75 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1 Pinch of salt
  • 6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Saltie's Focaccia
  • 6 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 3 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and drizzling
  • Coarse sea salt
Directions
  1. David Lebovitz's Chocolate Sorbet
  2. In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk for 45 seconds.
  3. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it's melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.
  1. Saltie's Focaccia
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast. Add the warm water to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated and a sticky dough forms—no kneading required. Pour the 1/4 cup olive oil into a 6-quart plastic food container with a tight-fitting lid (or a large bowl). Transfer the focaccia dough to the plastic container, turn to coat, and cover tightly. (If you're using a bowl, wrap tightly and thoroughly in plastic wrap, making sure there's plenty of room in the bowl for the dough to rise.) Place in the refrigerator to rise for at least 8 hours or for up to 2 days.
  3. When you're ready to bake—I've found that a 2-day rise is best, but 1 will work just fine—oil an 18 x 13-inch baking sheet. Remove the focaccia dough from the refrigerator and transfer to the prepared pan. Using your hands, spread the dough out on the prepared pan as much as possible, adding oil to the dough as needed to keep it from sticking. Place the dough in a warm place and let it rise until it about doubles in bulk The rising time will vary considerably depending on the season. (In the summer, it might take just 20 minutes; in winter, it can take an hour or more.) When the dough is ready, it should be room temperature, spread out on the sheet, and fluffy feeling.
  4. Preheat the oven to 450° F.
  5. Pat down the focaccia to an even thickness of about 1-inch on the baking sheet, and then make a bunch of indentations in the dough with your fingertips—like you're playing chords on a piano. Dimple the entire dough and then drizzle the whole thing again with olive oil. Sprinkle the entire surface of the focaccia evenly with sea salt.
  6. Bake, rotating once front to back, until the top is uniformly golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool, then slide out of the pan. Use the same day.
  7. Once the bread is cool and the ice cream is frozen, slice the former into squares (whatever size you like is fine), and cut those through their bellies to make top and bottom slices of bread. Pile on a scoop or two of ice cream, sandwich together, and serve immediately. (It's wise to have napkins nearby.)

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • fanaledrinks
    fanaledrinks
  • Caitlin Gunther
    Caitlin Gunther
  • Can I have a bite?
    Can I have a bite?
  • Lizabeth
    Lizabeth
  • Kenzi Wilbur
    Kenzi Wilbur

11 Reviews

taylor16 May 27, 2024
To convey my gratitude for the excellent articles that you have contributed to your website, I am writing to show my appreciation. The product is deserving of praise due to the fact that it has an appealing composition and instructive material.
https://papas-freezeria.io
 
Geraldortiz October 10, 2023
Hi everyone, my name is Jalen, I have a hobby of learning and playing good new games. I recently played a game called Papa's freezeria which is a light game on the subject of cooking, suitable for all ages. It's a good and extremely attractive food discovery game.
 
fanaledrinks July 27, 2015
Looks like the perfect sweet treat. :)
 
paula July 22, 2015
I made the chocolate sorbet but did not put it through a blender as suggested and when it froze, it was grainy. Does the blender really make such a difference to the texture?
 
Caitlin G. July 22, 2015
my brother had a college roommate who used to make Wonder Bread sandwiches out of EVERYTHING, including ice cream. I always thought it sounded crazy, but with this recipe and the gorgeous pics, I'm totally getting the appeal of a true ice cream sandwich... will try!
 
Can I. July 22, 2015
Should there be sugar in the sorbet? I'm not seeing it on the ingredients list.
 
Can I. July 22, 2015
Thanks for fixing the recipe! I can't wait to try it.
 
JulieKay July 22, 2015
I am not seeing any yeast in the bread recipe???
 
Kenzi W. July 22, 2015
Great catch! Should be 1 teaspoon active dry—just added.
 
Lizabeth July 22, 2015
Anyway to make this sorbet without a machine or is that simply not a possibility?
 
Kenzi W. July 22, 2015
It seems like some people have had success using a food processor. See the comments here: https://food52.com/recipes/17877-david-lebovitz-s-chocolate-sorbet