Fudgy Sourdough Brownies
The perfect fudgy brownie with a crackly top is made even better with a dash of sourdough discard. Can a brownie be both fudgy and airy at the same time? Yep!
A brownie can be both fudgy and airy if you add a cup of sourdough discard to the batter. These brownies are nice and rich, but with a surprisingly light crumb thanks to a little lift from the natural yeast in the sourdough starter.
But wait, there’s more…
The discard also enhances the flavor of the brownie. There’s a slight background tang that somehow makes the chocolate flavor even more chocolatey. It’s so, so good.
If you don’t have one, check out my post to learn How to Make a Sourdough Starter. Then check out my system to Feed and Maintain Sourdough Starter.
If you’re still craving chocolate but want something a little lighter than a brownie, you can make Sourdough Chocolate Cake too.
Scroll through the step by step photos to see how to make fudgy Sourdough Brownies:
Tips for making and storing Sourdough Brownies:
- The recipe can be halved and baked in an 8″ or 9″ square pan.
- Unfed sourdough starter will add a tangy flavor to the batter. I got great results with a starter that had been in the refrigerator, unfed, for about a week.
- Butter the pan and line with parchment paper. This not only prevents sticking, it makes it much easier to lift the brownies out of the pan.
- Stirring the batter vigorously after adding the eggs will incorporate air into the batter. This will help form a crust on the top of the brownies. If you prefer a soft top on your brownies, you can skip that step.
- Cool the brownies in the pan then use the parchment to transfer them to a cutting board.
- To appreciate the subtle tangy flavor, I prefer to serve these spectacular brownies without any frosting
- The Brownies will keep at room temperature for several days.
- Leftover brownies can be frozen. Layer them with parchment paper or plastic wrap to prevent them from sticking together. They’re delicious straight from the freezer or defrosted.
You might like these other fabulous brownie recipes: Classic Fudgy Brownies, Habanero Brownies, Chocolate Cherry Brownies, Malted Milk Brownies, Roasted Beet Brownies, and White Chocolate Raspberry Brownies.
You might also like these recipes for the brownies’ cousin, Butterscotch Ripple Blondies and Malted Milk Blondies
I know you hate to throw away that sourdough discard. Check out these recipes that use sourdough discard.
You might also want to try Sourdough Shortbread or Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies made with sourdough powder.
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Fudgy Sourdough Brownies
Ingredients
- 9 oz semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)
- 8 oz unsalted butter (cut into 1″ chunks)
- 8 oz granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 4 oz brown sugar (½ cup)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 8 oz sourdough discard (1 cup)
- 2 ½ oz all purpose flour (½ cup, see note)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter a 13"x9" inch baking pan. Line the pan in one direction with parchment paper.
- Combine 9 oz semi-sweet chocolate and 8 oz unsalted butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, stir to combine. Microwave in 30 second increments (stirring between) until all the chocolate is melted.
- Add 8 oz granulated sugar, 4 oz brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, stir to combine. Add 3 large eggs, stir until combined then stir vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Fold in8 oz sourdough discard. Add 2 ½ oz all purpose flour and stir just until combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake until the brownies puff up a bit and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (30 minutes).
- Cool in the pan to room temperature then refrigerate until the brownies are firm. Use the parchment paper to lift the brownies out of the pan onto a cutting board.
- Cut into 24 portions.
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I would like to make these but realized I only have unsweetened chocolate. Have you ever tried it with that? Could I just add more sugar? Thank you
Yes. Use 6 oz of unsweetened chocolate and 1/3 cup more of sugar.
Hi Eileen. I just made these decadent brownies and I have a question. Why do you put the pan in the refrigerator? I was curious, so I took a little taste before going in the fridge. They were light and almost cakey (if that’s a word). It was delicious. However, my policy with recipes is that I make it according to the directions the first time and then I make changes after that. They came out of the fridge very dense and fudgy. Have you ever made them and not put the pan into the fridge? The men in my family will love the dense chocolate but I would rather have the lighter density. I’m just curious if they would stay light without the cold.
I refrigerate them mostly to get them firm enough to lift out of the pan. Otherwise, they might crack apart as they are lifted out of the pan.
Hi
I halved the recipe but when i cut during cooled down the bottom is still wet.. what went wrong?
My toothpick came out clean and top was crispy…
What type of pan did you use? Do you have an oven thermometer to check for accuracy. Also, if you don’t mix the batter evenly you might get the dense stuff at the bottom where the eggs aren’t completely mixed in.
Can I substitute an oil for the butter?
I think that would work. I can’t say if the texture of the brownie will change much since I haven’t tried it. Because butter is firm at room temp and oil is liquid at room temp, the brownies may be a bit mushy if you use a full cup of oil to replace the butter. I would try using 3/4 cup of oil and see how that works.
I was wondering that as well I keep kosher and after meals were we eat meat we can not eat milk for a few hours so I am always on the hunt for good dairy free resipes maybe I will do that next time
Another option might be butter flavored vegetable shortening. Since it is solid at room temp the texture might be better than using liquid oil.
Love your recipes! Can I make the sour dough brownies using a box mix? Love Ghiradelli brownie box mix but want to see if I can add sour dough .
I honestly have no idea since I don’t use box mixes. But I can’t imagine it wouldn’t work. Brownies are pretty forgiving since they naturally have a soft structure. All I can say is to give it a try and see what happens.