Sourdough is great and all, but sometimes you need a little more sugar in your bowl. For the days when you need to satisfy those chocolate cravings, try your hand at these decadent Sourdough Brownies.
For this simple 10-step recipe, you’ll only need a handful of ingredients, including a portion of your activated sourdough starter – meaning you can bring new life to your sourdough discard, while also giving your brownies a touch of tanginess from the sourdough.
With a perfectly fudgy centre and a top layer of crisp meringue, you get the best of both worlds with each bite of these chocolate brownies. They’re crackly and stickily without being dense or dry and they’re even better when served with a scoop of your favourite ice cream or some salted caramel sauce.
The best part? These brownies only take an hour to make, which makes them the perfect recipe for a weekday or after-dinner treat when you’re short on time or have an urgent sugar craving.
Jump to
- Sourdough Bread Recipe
- Sourdough Starter Recipe
- Beginner’s Guide to Sourdough
- Complete Sourdough Starter Kit
What you’ll need
Ingredients
- 150g dark chocolate (65-70% cocoa solids)
- 50g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 60g (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
- 2 eggs + 1 egg white
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 150g (2/3 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 110g (1/2 cup, packed) light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50g (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 120g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) activated sourdough starter
- Sea salt flakes
Tools
- Stand mixer with bowl, or large bowl with electric beaters
- Brownie pan (19 x 25cm or 23cm square)
- Baking paper
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Digital kitchen scale
- Spatula
How to make Sourdough Brownies: Step-by-step instructions
Feeding your sourdough starter instructions
- 12 hours before you plan to mix the dough, add the ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of active sourdough starter to a clean jar.
- Stir ingredients until combined
- Loosely cover the jar and allow the starter to rise at room temperature.
- Once the sourdough starter has doubled in size and there are plenty of bubbles on the surface and sides of the jar it is ready to use.
Sourdough brownies instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
- Line a 7.5 x 9.75-inch (19 x 25 cm) rectangular or 9-inch (23cm) square brownie pan with baking paper.
- Break the chocolate into chunks. Place into a medium pot with the butter and vegetable oil. Set over a low heat on the stove and stir often (to prevent it from burning), until the chocolate is almost fully melted. Remove from the heat and set aside so the remaining chocolate can melt from the residual heat.
- In either a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with electric beaters, place the eggs, egg white, salt and both kinds of sugar into a large bowl and whisk until pale and very fluffy. Add the water and vanilla, then continue to whisk until the sugar has mostly dissolved – you can tell when this has happened by rubbing some of the mixture between your fingertips – if it feels very grainy, you need to keep whisking. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
- Mix the cocoa powder and sourdough starter into the melted chocolate mixture until completely combined.
- Add this mixture to the bowl of whipped egg mixture and fold together until just combined.
- Pour into the prepared brownie tin and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- The top should appear dry, so insert a toothpick into the centre of the brownies to test whether they’re ready to come out (the toothpick should come out with a small amount of batter stuck to it).
- Let the brownies cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing into 16 pieces.
- Finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, or a scoop of your favourite ice cream.
Josh’s Baking Tips
- These brownies work best using sourdough discard from the day’s feed or using discard that I have collected in the fridge over a period of a week.
- Caster sugar is preferred for making these as the fine sugar crystals aid in getting that meringue-like top on the brownies. However granulated sugar will work just fine, you may need to whip the mixture for slightly longer.
- If you’re wanting to bake a larger batch of brownies, then you can easily double all of the ingredients – just bake in a 9 x 13-inch rectangular tray. The baking time should be 35-40 minutes.
Sourdough brownies fillings and toppings ideas
Although these brownies are delicious on their own, you might want to bring some creative flair to your next batch by adding some fillings to your mixture. After all, nothing beats taking a bite of an already-tasty treat and discovering a little surprise.
If you’re looking to bling out your brownies and bring a little extra flavour to every bite, then you should try adding Nutella, salted caramel, fresh raspberries, fudge, peanut butter, or more chocolate chips. However, if you want to add some crunch, then you can experiment with different textures from add-ins like walnuts, pretzels, M&Ms, or your favourite lollies.
Just like when baking sourdough, there are no rules when it comes to what you can add to your recipe – so have fun with it and experiment with different flavour combinations. After all, peanut butter and jelly wouldn’t have been discovered without a brave human trying it for the first time.
Sourdough brownies frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How to freeze brownies
If you find your brownies are too much to eat within a few days, then you can freeze them for later individually.
To freeze brownies you’ll need to slice the cooled brownies and place them in a glass or plastic container in a single layer. Cover that layer with wax or parchment paper, then press the paper lightly into the top of each brownie to create a better seal. Top with another layer of brownies and repeat until the container is full. Make sure to cover the top layer of brownies with paper, too, to keep them as fresh as possible.
How to reheat brownies
If you’re like me and prefer your brownies warm, then you’re in for a treat because they can be reheated in the microwave for 20-30 second intervals – touching and lightly pressing on it between each to check on its softness and temperature.
Alternatively, you can reheat your brownie in the oven by preheating your oven to 180°C. Then, place your brownie on a baking tray lined with baking paper to prevent it sticking and place inside the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
From frozen
Defrosting brownies is easier than most people think. Simply unwrap and set them on a plate on the counter to allow them to cool at room temperature.
If you just can’t wait for your chocolate treat, then pop it into the microwave on 50 percent power for 15-second increments. Don’t let it get too hot – best to test a little nibble first.
What else can you make with sourdough discard?
While I could be here all day telling you the thousands of recipes you can make using sourdough discard, we have compiled 7 of our favourite sourdough discard recipes on our blog. Perfect for every palate, these sweet and savoury recipes include fluffy sourdough pancakes, fried chicken, baker’s banana bread, and golden sourdough waffles.
Or, you can check out our recipes for Sourdough Crumpets, Sourdough Soft Pretzels, or Sourdough Pizza Dough to expand your culinary repertoire today.
Did you make these Sourdough Bagels? Share your sourdough creations with us on Instagram by tagging @YouKneadSourdough with the hashtag #youkneadsourdough.