• If the bread is not stale, place the cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 200º until they are dry. Once cooled, add to a large mixing bowl.
• Preheat oven to 350º. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan.
• In a saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Add chocolate chips and whisk until melted. Set aside
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, espresso powder and salt. Pour over the dry bread and use your hands to toss the bread with the liquid. It will take a minute or so for the liquid to absorb into the bread. The bread will start to lose its shape but there will still be some intact cubes of bread.
• Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the soggy bread and transfer to the prepared pan.
• Bake for 1 hour until the center springs back when lightly touched. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes then remove the outside of the pan. Allow to cool an additional 15 minutes or longer before slicing.

Topping:

• While the bread pudding is baking, melt butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add cream, egg yolk and salt and bring to a boil whisking the entire time. Continue to boil for about 2 minutes until it starts to thicken, it will still be very runny.
• Remove from the heat and add toasted pecans and coconut and bourbon to taste. Let it cool. Spoon over individual servings of bread pudding.