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sourdough brownies

Sourdough Brownies Recipe

These sourdough discard brownies justify keeping a starter on the counter through every inconvenient feeding cycle and every jar of discard that accumulated guilt before this recipe existed. You follow this sourdough brownie recipe once and the half cup of discard that used to go down the drain becomes the reason the brownies taste more complex and fudgy than anything you bake without it.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 302
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 12 oz . semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup dutched cocoa powder (or regular cocoa powder)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Equipment

  • 9x9 baking dish
  • Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Heavy saucepan

Method
 

  1. Prep the pan
    You preheat the oven to 350°F and line the 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides so you can lift the finished brownies out cleanly. You skip the parchment at your own risk and accept the consequences of eating brownie rubble straight from the pan with a spoon.
  2. Melt the chocolate base
    You melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, then add the chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract, stirring continuously until the mixture melts into a smooth, glossy liquid with no visible chip pieces remaining. You remove the pan from the heat and let it cool until the bottom of the pan feels warm but not hot to the touch, about ten minutes. Pouring hot chocolate directly into beaten eggs cooks the eggs on contact and leaves scrambled bits throughout the batter.
  3. Beat the eggs and sugars
    You add the two eggs, egg yolk, granulated sugar, and dark brown sugar to a large mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer for seven to ten full minutes. The mixture transforms from a pale yellow liquid into a thick, pale, ribbon-like batter that falls from the beaters in a slow, continuous stream. This step creates the meringue-like structure that produces the crackly, shiny top during baking. Cutting the beating short to five minutes produces a brownie that bakes flat and matte rather than domed and glossy. Set a timer and do not rush it.
  4. Add the discard and chocolate
    You pour the sourdough discard and the cooled chocolate mixture into the beaten egg mixture and beat on low speed until the batter turns uniformly brown and fully combined. You add the flour and salt and fold them in gently with a spatula in slow, deliberate strokes until no white flour streaks remain. The batter runs very thick, close to the consistency of stiff frosting. You spread it into the prepared pan rather than pouring it, using the spatula to push the batter into the corners and smooth the top flat.
  5. A note on making batter ahead
    You can prepare the full sourdough discard brownies recipe batter, cover the bowl tightly, and refrigerate it for up to twenty-four hours before baking. Cold batter produces an even fudgier center than batter baked immediately after mixing because the extended chill time allows the flour and discard to hydrate fully. You spread the cold batter into the prepared pan and add five minutes to the bake time to account for the lower starting temperature.
  6. Bake and cool
    You bake the pan at 350°F for thirty-five to forty minutes. You check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the pan. A toothpick with moist fudgy crumbs indicates a properly baked brownie. A completely wet toothpick means the center needs more time. You pull the pan at the moist-crumb reading and let the brownies cool completely in the pan before lifting them out by the parchment and cutting. Cutting hot brownies produces a molten, collapsed mess that sticks to every surface it touches. Full cooling takes at least forty-five minutes and produces clean, sharp-edged squares.