Decadent Brown Butter Sourdough Discard Brownies (2024)

Sourdough brownies are rich, fudgy and delicious. They are made with sourdough discard, 2 types of chocolate and 2 types of sugar for a totally indulgent treat!

Life’s not life without sweets.

I’m sorry to be so confrontational about it, but seriously.

The joy that a perfectly cooked brownie brings to life is unquantifiable. It cannot be measured, it cannot be replicated. It’s just a damn good brownie.

And these browned butter brownies are damn good. They’re indulgent, and irresistible, with a paper thin, crackling top crust and intensely dense, chewy chocolatey crumb.

This sourdough brownie recipe is dedicated to joy.

Tips + Tricks

No. 1 –> New to sourdough? Need a starter? Check out my 24 hour sourdough starter! Got lots of discard? Learn what to do with sourdough discard!

No. 2 –> This process is a little different than making most brownies, but the browned butter makes it so worth it. I will say that this brownie recipe is not for you if you like cake-y brownies, and its not for you if you prefer super sweet brownies. This recipe is thick, dense, chewy, and reminiscent of buttery dark chocolate.

No. 3 –> Don’t rely on the toothpick inserted into the center method of testing these brown butter treats for doneness. I find this can result in an overcooked and even dry brownie. I prefer to rely on visual cues. The edges should look set and be pulling away from the liner and the center should look still soft. The brownies will continue to cook once removed from the oven and this ensures a rich, indulgent brownie.

Key Ingredients

Sourdough Discard: This recipe is pretty flexible when it comes to using up excess sourdough starter or discard. Use the stuff you’ve been saving in the fridge for a week or use the leftover’s from this morning’s feeding. Just make sure your starter is 100% hydration, and you stir down any bubbles before measuring!

Sugar: This recipe combined both granulated and brown sugar. The granulated sugar helps to make the brownies chewier and delivers that undeniably delicious papery crust all good brownies have. The brown sugar helps keep the brownies softer and fudgier as the molasses helps to moisten the batter.

Dutch Process Cocoa: Dutch process cocoa is less acidic and has a more mellow flavor profile. As an added bonus, this cocoa is also more easily dissolved. If you’re in a pinch, you can definitely use regular cocoa powder but the magic happens with dutch process!

How To Make Sourdough Brownies

Brown The Butter + Melt The Chocolate

1. In a medium-sized sauce pan, over medium-low heat, melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter and simmer the butter, stirring regularly, until it takes on an amber color, the milk solids have browned, and it smells nutty. This will take between 3-5 minutes of simmering, but do watch it closely because the butter can burn. If it simmers too rapidly, simply turn down the heat.
2. Once the butter has browned, turn off the heat, and add in 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips. Stir in the chocolate chips until completely melted and smooth. Set the pot on a wire mesh rack to cool for 10-15 minutes, it doesn’t need to cool completely just somewhat.

Preheat The Oven And Prepare The Baking Dish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare a 9 x 9 inch baking dish by lining with tinfoil or parchment paper and spraying a light coat of cooking oil or greasing lightly. Set aside for now.

Mix The Batter

1. Once the chocolate-butter mixture has cooled for 10 or so minutes, it’s time to make the batter!
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 3 large eggs, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup light brown sugar on high speed, until lightened in color and somewhat frothy. This will take 2-3 minutes. Add in 1/2 cup sourdough discard and beat again at high speed for 2 minutes.
3. While the mixer is beating at high speed, slowly pour the melted chocolate mixture down the side of the mixing bowl. By whisking at high speed and pouring the hot chocolate mixture down the side of the bowl, we are giving it a chance to cool before coming into contact with the eggs. This will help prevent the coagulation of egg proteins in the batter.
4. In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt.
5. Add the flour mixture to the batter and fold in, stirring only until completely combined to avoid overmixing and incorporating air into the batter.
6. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.

Bake + Cool

1. Bake sourdough brownies in 350 f oven for 30-35 minutes.
2. It’s important to take out the brownies when the edges look set and the middle looks slightly undercooked. As with all brownies, under-cooked is more desirable than over-cooked. The brownies will continue to cook while resting.
3. Cool the brownies on a wire mesh cooling rack until room temperature before cutting, otherwise they’ll be super soft and difficult to cut.

Batch + Storage Information

Batch:

This sourdough discard brownies recipe makes 1 delicious 9×9 inch pan of brownies. I usually cut my brownies into 9 pieces. That gives 2 for each kid and Kevy. And coincidentally 3 pieces for me. Ha!

This recipe can be doubled and baked in 2 9×9 pans. I would not recommend halving this recipe.

Storage:

Store your sourdough discard brownies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 4 days. I actually wrap mine in plastic wrap and store them in the cookie jar for easy grab and go lunch box treats!

These brownies can also be frozen. I individually wrap each piece (let’s be real, by the time it’s time to freeze them, there are only 3 left!) then place my wrapped brownies into an airtight freezer container. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to enjoy, simply thaw the brownies on the counter at room temperature for about an hour.

More Sourdough Discard Recipes To Love

Variations + Substitutions

While delicious in its own right, this easy sourdough brownies recipe can easily be tweaked!

• add 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• serve warm with a scoop of sous vide ice cream
• add 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
• add a little mint extract for a minty brownie
• give them a pinch of cayenne for a Mexican chocolate brownie flavor
• swap some or all of the chocolate chips with white chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips

Recommended Equipment

Stand mixer: I use myKITCHENAID MIXERfor so many things. It makes everything much easier – I couldn’t live without it for my baking! Because this recipe requires vigorous, high-speed beating it should really be made with a stand mixer.

Solid 9 x 9 inch cake pan: I love a heavy baking dish. This OXO brand one looks to be very similar to my go-to 9×9!

If you love this recipe, please give it a star rating or leave a comment below! This helps me to create more content you enjoy!

See Also

Classic Thin Crust Three Cheese PizzaDIY Proofing Baskets & Banneton Alternatives - Crave The GoodWhat to Do With Leftover Puff Pastry ScrapsJalapeño Cheddar Burger Buns — The Intrepid Cookie

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