Sourdough Discard Brownies
Equipment
- 1 8x8-inch baking pan
- 2 medium mixing bowls
- 1 small heatproof bowl (for melting chocolate/butter)
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 measuring cup set
- 1 measuring spoon set
- 1 sheet of parchment paper
- 1 wire cooling rack
- 1 knife (for slicing brownies)
Ingredients
- 170 gram unsalted butter melted
- 170 gram dark chocolate chopped
- 150 gram granulated sugar
- 80 gram brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 5 milliliter vanilla extract
- 120 gram sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 60 gram all-purpose flour
- 25 gram unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 gram fine sea salt
- 80 gram chocolate chips semi-sweet
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line the 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.
- In a small heatproof bowl, melt the butter and chopped dark chocolate together in the microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until thickened and slightly lightened in color, about 1–2 minutes.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg-sugar mixture and whisk until fully combined and glossy.
- Whisk in the sourdough discard until the batter is smooth and no streaks of discard remain.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and fine sea salt.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a rubber spatula just until no dry spots remain, avoiding overmixing.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top into an even layer with the spatula.
- Bake for 22–28 minutes, or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
- Place the pan on a wire cooling rack and let the brownies cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the cooled brownies from the pan, transfer to a cutting board, and slice into 12 squares.
Notes
For best flavor, use unfed sourdough discard that’s not overly sour and ideally no more than a week old if stored in the fridge; letting the batter sit for 10–15 minutes before baking can slightly mellow acidity and improve texture, while slightly underbaking keeps them fudgy rather than cakey. If your discard is very runny, you can add 1–2 extra tablespoons of flour to maintain structure, and if it’s particularly sour, increase the sugar by 1–2 tablespoons. These brownies freeze well when tightly wrapped, and chilling them before cutting gives cleaner slices; you can also customize them with nuts, a pinch of espresso powder to boost chocolate flavor, or flaky salt sprinkled on top right after baking.
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