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.
This recipe was originally published on July 2022. I have since updated it with new photos and additional tips for success.
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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.
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.
- Katie
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 or another type of sweetener.
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.
Chocolate chips: Milk chocolate or semi-sweet work best since they have more sugar. Do not use baking chocolate or chocolate bars, as it they do not contain soy lecithin. Quality matters when it comes to chocolate, so invest in
Quality matters when it comes to chocolate, when possible use high-quality cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Low-quality chocolate often contains a low percentage of cocoa solids, excessive sugar, vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter, and artificial flavors, resulting in a waxy texture and lack flavor.
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!
How to Make Sourdough Brownies - Step by Step
STEP 1: Melt the butter and sugar
Microwave sugar and butter together and whisk. Whisk in egg and egg yolks until the sugar looks completely dissolved. This step is pivotal for these brownies since hot butter and moisture from the egg whites and sourdough discard helps properly dissolve sugar, leading to a papery thin crackly crust.
STEP 2: Make the batter
Stir in the vegetable oil, cocoa powder. Whisk in sourdough discard until no traces remain or you may end up with gummy patches of sourdough in your brownies. Using a rubber spatula stir in the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
STEP 3: Bake
Transfer the batter to a parchment-lined metal baking pan (8 by 8 inches). Bake the brownies at 325 F for 30 minutes. Do not over bake these brownies or they will taste chalky.
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 to prevent your eggs from heating up too much and getting scrambled. 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info provided are estimates.
Paula Baytieh
This looks absolutely DELICIOUS & I can't wait to try it! I'm more of a brownie purist & don't like anything added in so I'm wondering if the chocolate chips are absolutely necessary?
Hannah Dela Cruz
Hi Paula - the chocolate chips help with achieving the beautiful shiny top on these brownies. They don't affect the texture and I promise you'll love them.
Madison
Absolutely delish!!! Mine was a little crumbly, almost like a pull apart brownie. Any idea what I did wrong? I did use a mixer… maybe I over mixed!?
Hannah Dela Cruz
Your batter may have become over aerated (because of the mixer) or you may have baked your brownies for too long.
Madsun
Can I substitute melted butter for vegetable oil?
Hannah Dela Cruz
The little bit of water in the melted butter is what melts the sugar (sugar won't melt in fat and vegetable oil is all fat). I'd try plant-based butter if you prefer a plant-based option although I've never tried so I can't speak for your results.
Nana R
I used dark cocoa powder and reduced the chocolate chips by 1/3. i believe the best brownies I have ever made.!
Hannah Dela Cruz
What a compliment! Thank you so much, I'm glad your alterations worked!
John D
made this recipe tonight with gluten free sourdough starter and gluten free flour from King A. Came out flawless. I didn't add any starch being my blend came with it already in and I only had to add an extra 10 mins to the cooktime, GF takes longer sometimes.. so if you give it a try, and don't panic at the 30min mark when it wiggles like jello. When it was all done it literally came out looking just like the picture definitely have this one saved in my list of I want chocolate.
great write up, explanation and all your tips. Also now you know it works with King A 1:1 flour.
Glenda
thanks for your comments. I also use 1:1 flour and still added starch as I didn't realize it had it in there already. it also takes me about 10 min longer and I didn't realize it was due to the 1:1 flour. I use Bob's red mill.
Hannah Dela Cruz
That's wonderful that this worked with gluten free flour! I don't bake with gluten free myself but I'm so glad it works.
Brooke
Do you think you could ferment these? I have a gf kiddo who needs sourdough fermented 24 hours.
Hannah Dela Cruz
I've never tried this myself. Fermenting does wonders for cookie dough, so I don't know why it wouldn't work here. Try it out and let me know how it goes.
Shawna
I’ve tried several recipes to try to find a homemade brownie recipe that was better than Ghirardelli. Lo and behold, I just needed to try a sourdough discard recipe… and specifically, this one… to finally have my go-to homemade brownie. I only regret not doubling the recipe tonight.
Melinda
You mentioned to “pour” batter into pan but my batter was more like a dough. Should I added water to it. Hoping it still comes out delicious.
Hannah Dela Cruz
Don't add water! The batter should be quite thick.
Madison
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.
Liz
I doubled the recipe and used an 8x11.5x2 glass baking dish, so I had to do some guesswork on timing (I think I added 15 minutes?), but my brownies turned out so insanely good. My family is racing to the finish. They’re the perfect texture and not grossly sweet. I used 70% cacao chips and an extra sprinkle of flaky salt on top. OBSESSED.
Hannah Dela Cruz
So glad the glass baking dish worked and that your family loved the recipe!
Stefanie
Thanks for sharing your recipe! I followed recipe and everything looked great until I cut into the brownie. It was runny?? What do you think I did wrong? When I took the brownies out they were all nice and the top looked beautiful. After they cooled on the wire rack the top of them deflated?? What happened? They tasted delicious though. They just did not turn out like yours in the picture. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hannah Dela Cruz
I'm guessing the brownies needed just a few more minutes in the oven to set up a bit more! All ovens are a bit different so try giving your brownies a bit more time to bake next time and see if that works better.
April
I'm excited to make these!! can I use Coconut palm sugar?? Or Monk Fruit?
Hannah Dela Cruz
Hi April! I'm not sure if it would work since I'm not familiar with the effects these sugars have on bakes.
michelle
Love this recipe and can’t wait to try it but curious? could I brown the butter? since we’re warming it up to melt the sugar would it be okay to brown the butter then add the sugar?
thanks!
Hannah Dela Cruz
Browning the butter usually evaporates all of the water from the butter. Since water is what dissolves sugar, I'm not sure that it would improve the recipe very much.
Thomas Gay
Hey Hannah,
what if you were to use 2 (whole eggs) and 1 egg yolk (instead of one whole and 2 yolks) to make up for the loss of water when browning the butter?
I'm going to try it like that... that way I can use a metal dish from start to finish (I usually just make my deserts start to finish in a saucepan)... plus I will have less excess egg white (hate wasting it... plus the less separation you need to do the better)
I tried your chocolate chip cookies and blondies; both came out delicious. I'll have to leave a review; I don't think I have...
I'm gunna keep playing with the chocolate chip cookies recipe... I'm obsessed with perfecting those haha... next time I'm gunna try using miso like you said (never tried that or thought of it)..
gunna try these brownies tonight I think
Hannah Dela Cruz
Too much moisture can also harm the texture of your brownie. This recipe has been meticulously formulated to achieve the optimum texture, flavor and to get a shiny top.
You can totally try it but I can't guarantee your results.
Ericka
There are times where measuring in grams is not a good choice and this is one of them. I wish the salt measurement came in teaspoons, because even with a good digital scale I couldn't/ didn't get the measurement right. When you ask Google to convert the grams to teaspoon, the amount varies by site - anywhere from 1/3t. to 1 t. The batch was not good and I had to throw the whole thing out. I may try again, adjusting the salt myself, but it is frustrating when you waste so much of your ingredients and time.
Hannah Dela Cruz
Hi Ericka! So sorry you had this unfortunate experience. I provide imperial measurements in every recipe, including this one. If you'd like to try again next time, simply toggle to the button that says "US Customary." This will switch all the measurements to cups, tablespoons and teaspoons for you.
Ody
Sorry for the dumb question but I would love to swirl peanut butter in the batter. Do you think it would have a negative result due to added moisture? I could also use 1/2 chocolate chips and 1/2 peanut butter chips but I really prefer using natural pb.
Hannah Dela Cruz
This is actually a great question! I'm not sure how this will affect the result, but may affect your chances of getting a shiny top. Don't let it stop you though, try microwaving the peanut butter, add globs on top of the batter and then swirl.
Let me know how it turns out!
Abby
A friend gave he sourdough starter a week ago..I’m addicted now! I will never bake brownies any other way! I used my local store brand unsweetened cocoa and honestly they are amazing!!! I used the chips I had in hand which were dark chocolate. I’ve made them twice and i might try adding some expresso powder next time. Thank you I eat these once a month 😉 now for 2 months 😉 haha. I also like it bakes in 30 min and uses one bowl!
Katie
I have been searching for the perfect sourdough discard brownie recipe and I think this would have to be my favourite! The brownies are chewy and decadent with that hint of sourdough tang. One time I made them and forgot the baking soda and actually think they were better without it! I also found I have had better results getting that crackly top when melting the butter and sugar in saucepan on the stove. Fantastic recipe - thank you 🙂
Hannah Dela Cruz
Oooh good to know about the baking soda! I bet that batch was wonderfully fudgy. Thanks for your tips, I'll have to try them myself.
shivankesh
Brownies is one how always save me for my gf when she anger one brown solution all matter ☺💏
Catalina
Hello dear!! In love!! Your content is awesome!! Ok let me ask you something? What is the difference or what is the proposed of the m.m in this recipe or any recipe?? Some benefit nutritional? Flavor? Texture?? Thanks in advance! Huggs
Make It Dough
Hi! The purpose of the discard starter is just to use up any that you might have on hand! It also adds a little bit of complexity to the flavor of the baked goods 😁
Catalina
Thanks for you answer! It is a good purpose....