Rich, and chewy with an irresistible shiny top, this Sourdough Brownie recipe is the answer to your chocolate cravings. This recipe is a great way to use sourdough discard which adds a delicious tang, making this ultimate chocolate treat even more satisfying. In less than 1 hour, you’ll have delicious brownies with just one bowl and no special equipment.
Madison says
These are the most delicious brownies I’ve ever made in my life. I’m so glad I took the chance and doubled the recipe! More to share.
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My perfect brownie
My perfect brownie is rich and chewy on the inside with crisp edges and a gorgeous, shiny crackly top. I’ve created a lot of sourdough discard brownies recipes over the years, like my Butterscotch Fudge Brownies from my cookbook and although these were delicious they didn’t tick all the boxes.
They never satisfied my quest for the perfect chocolate brownies because they were all missing one crucial element: the shiny, papery thin top. While I got the texture and flavor spot on, this one element that makes brownies absolutely irresistible kept eluding me. I mean what’s a good brownie without one? Just a really delicious, dense chocolate cake.
Although, I wouldn’t consider my previous attempts a complete failure, they all left me utterly dissatisfied and I didn’t touch brownies again until I figured out how to make my perfect brownies.
Love chocolate sourdough recipes? Try my Sourdough Chocolate Muffins, Sourdough Chocolate Cookies, Sourdough Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, Sourdough Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Sourdough Bread.
How to make brownies with a shiny, crackly crust
After hours of research (more like years tbh), reading articles by baking gurus like Tessa at Handle the Heat, PJ Hamel at King Arthur Baking Company, the indisputable team at America’s Test Kitchen, I was finally ready to make an attempt at brownies again.
Dissolve sugar properly
The crust is a result of the sugar melting and migrating to the surface of the brownies as the batter bakes, forming a delicate layer of meringue. White sugar needs to be dissolved completely in the brownie batter or you’ll end up with grainy, dull brownies. (This technique works for Sourdough Blondies as well.)
In this recipe, I microwave the sugar with butter. The hot butter helps, but because sugar dissolves in water and not fat, the little bit of moisture in butter is aided by the water locked in sourdough discard to dissolve the sugar fully.
Control the moisture in the batter
Although we need water to dissolve sugar, too much liquid will create watery brownies that can’t dry out enough to form our meringue top. This is why so many of my brownies failed in the past.
I didn’t know that the ingredients I chose added too much moisture to my batter. Dark brown sugar, espresso shots, extra egg whites, while these ingredients are harmless on their own, in combination with the water locked in sourdough discard prevented my shiny top from forming. Adding a touch of cornstarch binds even more moisture which helps with both the texture and the appearance of these brownies.
Add chocolate chips
If you’re looking for a “secret ingredient” to the perfect brownies, this is as close as you’ll get. Although a lot of recipes swear by adding chocolate chips to result in a glossy crust, the science behind it is not 100% clear. It’s thought that the soy lecithin, milk solids, and additional dissolved sugars in chocolate chips contribute to attaining that shiny, delicate top.
In her tests, PJ Hamel found that the only thing that could guarantee her crust is their addition. However, my other brownie recipes always include chocolate chips but did not have the top I wanted, so I believe that they have to be used in conjunction with the other elements I list here.
What you need
Granulated sugar - White sugar is the best choice for brownies since it doesn’t contain as much moisture as other sugars. Organic cane sugar will work for this recipe, but do not try to use brown sugar.
Sourdough discard: You can use your sourdough discard or excess sourdough starter directly from the fridge. Add 28 grams of flour and 28 grams of water into your batter if you don’t have any sourdough discard.
Cocoa powder: I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder, but natural cocoa powder will work just as well for this recipe.
All-purpose flour: Do not substitute whole wheat flour or cake flour, or it will ruin the texture of these brownies.
Cornstarch: Helps absorb excess moisture and thicken the batter, feel free to substitute another starch like potato or tapioca.
Salt: I used Morton’s Kosher Salt for this recipe and a little bit of Maldon Salt Dusted on top. Double the amount 1 teaspoon if you’re using Diamond Crystal (gram measurement should be the same).
Chocolate chips: Use your favorite brand. Milk chocolate or semi-sweet work best since they have more sugar.
See recipe card for full ingredient amounts.
Baking with sourdough discard
Sourdough discard adds a delicious tangy flavor to balance the rich flavor of these brownies. Since you’re not using it as a leavener, you can use your discard straight from the refrigerator. There’s no need to feed it or activate it before mixing it into your batter. Older discard will have a tangier, more acidic flavor than a freshly-fed sourdough starter. Both will work for this recipe, you’ll just get a slightly different flavor profile but your bake will still be delicious!
Need more ideas for using your excess sourdough starter? Check out my Collection of Sourdough Discard Recipes!
Step-by-step instructions
STEP 1: Microwave sugar and butter together and whisk
STEP 2: Whisk in egg and egg yolks until the sugar looks dissolved
Tip
Hot butter and moisture from the egg whites and sourdough discard helps dissolve sugar, leading to a papery thin crackly crust.
STEP 3: Stir in the vegetable oil, cocoa powder
STEP 4: Whisk in sourdough discard until no traces remain
Tip
Make sure the discard is fully incorporated into the batter or you may end up with gummy patches of sourdough in your brownies.
STEP 5: Using a rubber spatula stir in the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt
STEP 6: Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed
Tip
Quality matters when it comes to chocolate, when possible use high-quality cocoa powder and chocolate chips.
STEP 7: Pour batter into in an 8 by 8 pan lined with parchment paper
STEP 8: Bake brownies at 325 F for 30 minutes
Baker's Tips
- Weigh your ingredients. Using a kitchen scale is more accurate than measuring with cups and tablespoons and will help guarantee your chances of success.
- Both active sourdough starter and sourdough discard will work for this recipe. No starter? Just add 28 grams of flour and 28 grams of water to your batter.
- Use a metal pan. Baking brownies in a metal pan result in taller, thicker and chewier brownies compared to a glass or ceramic pan.
- Don't over bake your brownies. Over baking chocolate tends to dull its flavor, so if your brownies stay in the oven too long they will taste chalky and bland.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Simply use the same proportion of freshly fed sourdough starter in the recipe. Your starter won’t add a strong tangy flavor to your brownies, but it will still work.
If you don’t have a starter, but still want to try out this recipe, simply add 28 grams of all-purpose flour and 28 grams of water to your batter.
You over baked your brownies. It’s better to underbake these brownies since over baking will dull the flavor of chocolate and result in chalky, bland brownies. Only bake until the brownies are set, and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Don’t mistake melted chocolate chips for uncooked batter.
Brownies will keep well at room temperature stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Refrigerate for up to a week.
For long-term storage, wrap your brownies in foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Frozen brownie bars are what? YUM!!!
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Sourdough Brownie Recipe
Equipment
- 8 by 8 inch baking pan
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Ingredients
- 70 grams unsalted butter
- 250 grams granulated sugar
- 1 egg large
- 2 egg yolks
- 72 grams vegetable oil
- 75 grams cocoa powder Dutch-processed
- 56 grams sourdough discard
- 40 grams all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 7 grams cornstarch
- 4 grams salt Morton's Kosher Salt
- 100 grams chocolate chips
- Pinch flaky sea salt optional
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 F with the rack in the middle. Line an 8-by-8 baking pan with two pieces of parchment stacked perpendicular to each other, cut longer pieces for an overhang.
- Mix sugar and butter: Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl (you’ll be using this bowl for the entire recipe so choose an appropriate size). Microwave for 2 minutes, whisk until completely combined.70 grams unsalted butter, 250 grams granulated sugar
- Whisk in eggs: Let the mixture cool slightly, whisk in the egg and egg yolks until the sugar appears completely dissolved.1 egg, 2 egg yolks
- Add in cocoa powder and wet ingredients: Whisk in the cocoa powder and vegetable oil. Stir in the sourdough discard thoroughly until no traces remain.72 grams vegetable oil, 75 grams cocoa powder, 56 grams sourdough discard
- Fold in dry ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients in until no dry bits remain.40 grams all-purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda, 7 grams cornstarch, 4 grams salt
- Add chocolate chips: Stir the chocolate chips into the batter until evenly distributed.100 grams chocolate chips
- Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the brownies are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
- Enjoy and store: Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top, if using. Slice the brownies into 9 to 16 squares. Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.Pinch flaky sea salt
Tips
These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.
Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.
Laurie
These were absolutely amazing. The brownie recipe I’ve been searching for, for years. I subbed avocado oil for the vegetable oil. I’ve already made them twice this week. Once to take to a potluck and tonight for here at home haha. The second time I didn’t have Dutch cocoa so I subbed with cacao and it still came out equally delicious! Thank you
Hannah Dela Cruz
I'm so happy you loved these!
Amanda
Delicious. Followed the recipe to the gram and turned out a very nice product. I did not have Dutch cocoa, only cacao and the addition resulted in taller brownies. Oh my! The chocolate chips in these enhance to 10/10.
Hannah Dela Cruz
Yay! I'm so glad you loved this brownie recipe. It's one of my favorite recipes on the blog.
Sarah
These look amazing, but I don’t use vegetable oil. Could I substitute additional butter? Have you tried this?
Hannah Dela Cruz
This recipe was formulated especially with these ingredients to achieve the shiny top and light but fudgy texture. I would recommend using another type of oil like grape seed or even olive oil.
Janet
My daughter says these are the best brownies she has ever had, and I bake a lot. They are very close to perfect!
Hannah Dela Cruz
High praise indeed. Thank you for trying them out, Janet!
Grace
Hi there! Haven't made it yet but am dying to try! My daughter has an egg allergy- what would you recommend for an egg substitute/alternative for this recipe? Thanks!
Hannah Dela Cruz
Hi! The egg whites play a huge role in this recipe as it helps create a light texture and the shiny crust on the brownies. Although I've never tried it before, you can perhaps try adding 60 grams of aquafaba to the batter and getting rid of the eggs. Again, I've never tried this so try it at your own risk. Let me know how it goes.
Emily
Hannah, you are incredibly talented! Your sourghdough discard brownie recipe is simply the best! So easy to follow and tastes delicious. Thank you so much for sharing it…it has helped get me through my pregnancy!
Hannah Dela Cruz
Thanks so much for the kind words! I'm so so glad you found a brownie recipe that you love and that it helped you through your pregnancy. This is so touching!
Kellie
I love the flavor of these brownies. I’ve made them twice now, and both times, the outer edge, all the way around, rises higher than the center. I’d like them to be flat… so I can serve to company. Any suggestions?
Hannah Dela Cruz
Ooh I'm not quite sure why it may be sinking. You could try whisking it more and building more air into the batter. Also try to bake the brownies for a minute or 2 longer.
Kelly
How would you do this recipe if I wanted to allow for a full 24 hour fermentation?
Hannah Dela Cruz
Simply refrigerate the batter after mixing.
Al
I'm at 6,000ft elevation had this problem myself. what I've done to help is 2-3 T more flour and raise my oven temp 10 -15○ and a baking sheet underneath. makes more even rise for my circumstance.
Hannah Dela Cruz
Thanks for sharing your tips!
Katie
This recipe is INCREDIBLE. It has quickly become a staple for me when company is over, when I need to use up discard, or when I want something sweet. Everyone loves it.
I’ve made it so often that I’ve started experimenting with the recipe! I started using 50g white chocolate chips and 50g semi-sweet chocolate chips. Fantastic!
Any recommendations or thoughts on other ways to experiment with the brownies? I was thinking about substituting some of the oil for flavored oil (like blood orange) but don’t want to do so if it will mess with perfection.
Hannah Dela Cruz
Hi Katie! I'm so thrilled to hear that you love the recipe and white chocolate is such a great addition. Blood orange flavored oil would be a great addition. I also think crushed peanuts, crushed oreos or swirling peanut butter on top would be delicious too. I also love folding walnuts or substitute butterscotch chips for half of the chocolate chips! Let me know if you try any of these ideas. I'd love to hear.
Katie
I made the brownies again with 1/2 blood orange oil and 1/2 vegetable oil (because I ran out of my blood orange!). They are SO good.
I’ll try the butterscotch chips next 😍
Thanks, Hannah!
Hannah Dela Cruz
You're so welcome! I am so excited to hear about these additions and I'm glad that they are working well. I think you'll love the butterscotch!
Taylor
Okay, after letting them cool and eating a few, I still have some issues with texture and weirdness about the timing and temperature, but man, do these taste AMAZING despite some flaws! Super rich and delicious. Much yummier than I expected.
Shannon
I made these by weight and they came out super greasy.
Hannah Dela Cruz
This has definitely happened to me with both brownies and blondies before. The main issue for this usually is not getting enough air in the brownie batter. Make sure you really whisk your brownie batter if you want to try again.
Taylor
I truly had high hopes...they taste good, but the texture didn't work out for me, despite measuring all with a kitchen scale. I think the issue is they didn't hold together, and the recommendation to lift out of the pan on the parchment sling to cool made them fall apart even more. I raised the temp to 335 and them 350 after 30 min, put them in longer than 30 min (maybe close to 40??) and they still came out looking unfinished. I didn't want to leave them in longer and ruin them completely. The top crust came out a bit crackly, but not excessively. Full disclosure, I did substitute some Guillards's semi-sweet chocolate bar cut into bits instead of all chocolate chips, so I guess it could be that? possibly, I think it was the oven temp. They also seem dense and oily...will probably be a hit with my daughter either way!
Hannah Dela Cruz
Hi Taylor - Glad you ended up liking the brownies after all. Just from your description, the issue here could be that your batter was not aerated enough which is why they seemed oily and "unfinished." Try whipping your batter quite a bit more before baking. Adding chopped chocolate could have also affected the texture - chocolate chips contain soy lecithin which helps with the papery brownie crust.
Cathy
I made them! So yummy! My question is how to adjust the recipe if I don’t have any sourdough starter at the time.
Hannah Dela Cruz
Hi Cathy! Glad you loved the brownies. You can always use freshly fed sourdough starter or just add 28 grams of flour and 28 grams of water to your batter!
Peter
These are our favorite brownies! They are perfect. I was wondering, do you think they’d freeze well?
Hannah Dela Cruz
Hi Peter! So thrilled you love the brownies. I think they would freeze wonderfully. I would either wrap the slices individually or pre-slice and wrap it up with plastic wrap with the parchment paper. Try it out and let me know!
Stephanie
I don’t have a microwave. Should I melt the sugar and butter on a double boiler? I tried directly on the stove and it turned into caramel.
Hannah Dela Cruz
I would pour melted butter over sugar in a heat-proof bowl. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
Heather
Hi! These look amazing! I’m wanting to try baking these in individual cups. Possibly 4 oz or 8 oz aluminum cups. Any suggestions on baking time?
Hannah Dela Cruz
I'm not sure since I've never done this! My best guess would be keeping the temp and baking for 15 mins. To be sure, you can probably look up a recipe that uses those aluminum cups and use those timings and temperature as a guide.
Sarah
Hi! Do you think I can use butter instead of vegetable oil? Or avocado oil?
Hannah Dela Cruz
Avocado oil will work great! The oil is there to keep the brownies moist and prevent them from drying out. All-butter brownies have a tendency to be overly dry, so I wouldn't get rid of the oil in the recipe.