Sourdough Brownies

Name: Sourdough Brownies
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1-1.5 hours
Yield: 16 brownies
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 170g unsalted butter; 170g dark chocolate (70% cocoa); 100g sourdough discard; 200g granulated sugar; 3 large eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 75g all-purpose flour; 30g cocoa powder (Dutch-process); 3g salt

BeginnerPrep: 20 minutesTotal: 1-1.5 hoursYield: 16 brownies

The sourdough discard in these brownies doesn't make them taste sour -- it makes them taste more chocolatey. The acidity amplifies cocoa flavor the same way salt amplifies everything else. They're fudgy, dense, and crackly on top. Exactly what a brownie should be.

Ingredients

170gunsalted butter
170gdark chocolate (70% cocoa)-- chopped
100gsourdough discard-- straight from the fridge
200ggranulated sugar
3 largeeggs
1 teaspoonvanilla extract
75gall-purpose flour(100%)
30gcocoa powder (Dutch-process)
3gsalt

Instructions

1
Preheat your oven to 175C (350F). Line a 20x20cm (8x8") baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal.
2
Melt the butter and chopped chocolate together in a heatproof bowl over simmering water (or in 30-second microwave bursts, stirring between each). Stir until completely smooth. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
3
Whisk the sugar and eggs together in a large bowl for a full 2 minutes until light and slightly thickened. This builds the shiny, crackly top.
The long whisking is what creates the meringue-like top crust. Don't skip it.
4
Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and stir until combined. Add the sourdough discard and vanilla. Stir again.
5
Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Stop the moment you don't see dry streaks.
6
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Tap the pan firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.
7
Bake for 28-35 minutes. The top should be set and crackly, but a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs, not clean. Fudgy brownies need to be slightly underbaked by toothpick standards. Cool completely in the pan before cutting.
For cleaner cuts, refrigerate the brownies for 1 hour before slicing. A warm knife also helps.

Tips

The sourdough discard adds moisture and acidity that amplifies chocolate flavor. You won't taste "sourdough" -- you'll taste better chocolate.
Use good chocolate here. Since there's not much flour, the chocolate quality is the main flavor driver. A 70% dark chocolate bar works better than chips.
If you want brownies that are less fudgy and more cakey, add one extra egg. For even fudgier, reduce the flour to 50g.
Add 100g of chopped walnuts or a swirl of peanut butter on top before baking for a version that's hard to stop eating.

Sourdough Brownies

BeginnerPrep: 20 minutesTotal: 1-1.5 hoursYield: 16 brownies

Ingredients

170gunsalted butter
170gdark chocolate (70% cocoa)-- chopped
100gsourdough discard-- straight from the fridge
200ggranulated sugar
3 largeeggs
1 teaspoonvanilla extract
75gall-purpose flour(100%)
30gcocoa powder (Dutch-process)
3gsalt

Instructions

1
Preheat your oven to 175C (350F). Line a 20x20cm (8x8") baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal.
2
Melt the butter and chopped chocolate together in a heatproof bowl over simmering water (or in 30-second microwave bursts, stirring between each). Stir until completely smooth. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
3
Whisk the sugar and eggs together in a large bowl for a full 2 minutes until light and slightly thickened. This builds the shiny, crackly top.
The long whisking is what creates the meringue-like top crust. Don't skip it.
4
Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and stir until combined. Add the sourdough discard and vanilla. Stir again.
5
Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Stop the moment you don't see dry streaks.
6
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Tap the pan firmly on the counter a few times to release air bubbles.
7
Bake for 28-35 minutes. The top should be set and crackly, but a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs, not clean. Fudgy brownies need to be slightly underbaked by toothpick standards. Cool completely in the pan before cutting.
For cleaner cuts, refrigerate the brownies for 1 hour before slicing. A warm knife also helps.

Tips

The sourdough discard adds moisture and acidity that amplifies chocolate flavor. You won't taste "sourdough" -- you'll taste better chocolate.
Use good chocolate here. Since there's not much flour, the chocolate quality is the main flavor driver. A 70% dark chocolate bar works better than chips.
If you want brownies that are less fudgy and more cakey, add one extra egg. For even fudgier, reduce the flour to 50g.
Add 100g of chopped walnuts or a swirl of peanut butter on top before baking for a version that's hard to stop eating.