This fudgy, crinkle-top sourdough brownie recipe is made with active sourdough starter or sourdough discard. The secret is to fully dissolve the sugar in the right amount of eggs, and you’ll get glossy, crinkle-top brownies every time! You’ll need a 9×13 or 9×9-inch pan. Serves 12.
I love a good box mix brownie. Shiny, crinkle-top, Ghirardelli fudge brownies are my favorite, with a shot of espresso and flaky sea salt on top.
But when sourdough brownies peaked my curiosity (as it seems my calling in life is to create a reliable collection of sourdough discard recipes for one and all to enjoy!), could I make a sourdough version comparable to my beloved box mix?
Not Quite.
My first 7 tests were flops. They tasted like chocolate molten cakes, not brownies. No crinkle-top. It was weird. After even more tests and bingeing Youtube until my eyes turned to dust, it finally dawned on me…
I learned that too much moisture in the batter will change the look, taste and feel of the brownies and not necessarily in a good way. Think: cake-like vs. chewy brownies. Turns out, I was using way too much sourdough starter, which is essentially flour and water (moisture)! That was an easy fix.
But What About The Crinkle Tops?
For perfect, crinkle-top brownies you need to fully dissolve the sugar in the batter, in a specific sugar to moisture ratio. The best way to achieve this, is to combine the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and salt in a stand mixer (or hand held beater), and whisk vigorously for 5-7 minutes to dissolve. Thank you Adam Ragusea and Displaced Housewife for paving the way with your excellent findings.
How To Make Sourdough Brownies {Step-By-Step Recipe}
Step 1: Melt The Chocolate
In a double boiler, melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter. Stir well and set aside.
Step 2: Dissolve The Sugar
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment: mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Whisk vigorously on medium speed until voluminous and pale in color, about 5-7 minutes. As previously mentioned, this step is crucial for crinkle-top brownies.
Step 3: Add Melted Chocolate & Sourdough Starter
With the mixer running, pour in the warm, melted chocolate mixture and sourdough starter.
Step 4: Mix In The Dry Ingredients
Add the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda. Fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the pan (this is where I usually sneak a taste of the batter- so good!).
Step 5: Bake The Brownies
Bake on the center rack for 35-40 minutes or until the top is set. I learned that a toothpick won’t come out perfectly clean when pressed into the center; this is OK. The finished brownies will be more baked around the outer edges and fudgy in the middle. The texture will continue to set as the brownies cool.
Step 6: Cool Down
Cool completely in the pan (they become fudgier as they sit) before cutting. Don’t rush this step. Hot brownies taste completely different than cool brownies. Be patient. Cut into slices and enjoy!
My Helpful Tips
- Weigh your ingredients with a digital scale for best results. Remember, too much moisture and your brownies will be cake-like. Not enough, and the texture will be dry. Accuracy is key.
- Use a stand mixer or electric hand held beater to dissolve the sugar with power.
- Cool the brownies completely before cutting. You’ll get more crinkles, a fudgier texture and they will be easier to slice (nice and neat!). Don’t overlook this tip.
- I like using semi-sweet chocolate chips, instead of chopped dark chocolate, as per some recipes. I like the convenience. Most bakers already have chocolate chips on hand, and if using extra chips in the batter, you’ll have some leftover in the bag. No need to buy another ingredient.
- Make sourdough brownies advance up to 1 day, stored at room temperature.
{NEW} For espresso brownies: I recently tested this recipe with instant espresso granules which you can find in the grocery store (some brownies call for espresso powder which you need to order online instead). Add 2 heaping tsp. (3 g) instant espresso granules for mild flavor and up to 4 tsp (6 g) for a more pronounced coffee taste.
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Crinkle-Top Sourdough Brownies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of your pan
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 12 brownies 1x
- Category: Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Method: Oven-Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This recipe for fudgy, shiny, crinkle-top brownies is made with active sourdough starter or sourdough discard. The secret is to fully dissolve the sugar in the right amount of eggs, and you’ll get glossy, shiny crinkle-top brownies every time!
Note: This recipe was adapted with changes from Displaced Housewife’s crinkle-top brownies. I added sourdough starter & baking soda, omitted the espresso, reduced the cocoa powder from 85 g to 25 g and replaced the difference with flour to correct the consistency.
Ingredients
- 230 g (1 1/3 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 170 g (12 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 165 g (3/4 cup) brown sugar
- 4 large eggs (53 g each, cracked weight)
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3–6 g instant espresso granules (optional)
- 50 g (~ 1/4 cup) active sourdough starter or sourdough discard
- 25 g (4 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 185 g (1 1/2 cups) all purpose flour (see notes & tips below)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 115 g (3/4 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Notes & Tips
- Weigh your ingredients with a digital scale for best results.
- If you cannot use a scale, lightly spoon the flour into a measuring cup, leveling off the top. Do not pack it down. Otherwise the texture of the brownies will be denser.
- After mixing, some bakers reported having too much batter to fit a metal 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch pan (this is either from the pan being slightly too small and/or high-volume mixing in Step #4). This is OK. Alternatively, use a 9×13-inch metal baking pan instead, and bake for 30 minutes.
- For 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch glass pans: the bake time will increase to 50-60 minutes total.
- For ingredient brands: I used Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa powder, Kerry Gold butter, Trader Joe’s organic all purpose flour, and tested 3 different types of semi-sweet chocolate chips including, Enjoy Life, Whole Foods 365 & Ghiradelli. Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips are my favorite.
- For espresso brownies, I recently tested this recipe with instant espresso granules which you can find in the grocery store (some brownies call for espresso powder which you need to order online instead). Add 2 heaping tsp. (3 g) instant espresso granules for mild flavor and up to 4 tsp (6 g) for a more pronounced coffee taste.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Line an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch metal square pan with parchment paper (please read the Notes & Tips section above!). I like to grease the pan first so the parchment paper lays flat. Brownie batter is thick and has a tendency to “pull up” the paper when spreading the batter into the pan.
- Melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler; set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment: combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt (and instant espresso granules, if using) Whisk vigorously on medium speed until voluminous and pale in color, about 5-7 minutes. This step dissolves the sugar which is crucial for crinkle-top brownies.
- With the mixer running: pour in the warm, melted chocolate mixture.
- Add the sourdough starter and mix to combine.
- Add the cocoa powder, flour and baking soda.
- Fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) and mix well to combine.
- Pour the batter into the lined pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake on the center rack for 35-40+ minutes (8×8-inch or 9×9-inch metal pan) OR 30 minutes (9×13-inch metal pan) or until the top is set. A toothpick won’t come out perfectly clean when pressed into the center; you’ll get some crumbs and fudge batter. The finished brownies will be more baked around the outer edges and fudgy in the middle. The texture will continue to set as the brownies cool.
- Remove from the oven and allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan (they become fudgier as they sit). Don’t rush this step. Hot brownies taste very different than cool brownies. Be patient.
- Cut into slices and enjoy!
How To Store Sourdough Brownies: Once completely cool, cover sourdough brownies in plastic wrap and store at room temperature, up to 4 days. Or cut into slices and store in an airtight container. Alternatively, freeze wrapped brownies up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature.
Comments
Kerri Sturtevant says
Made this twice now using about 3g of instant espresso. Huge hit with everyone!
Kam says
These are amazing! My husband they were the best brownies he’s had! I do have a question though – the last couple times I’ve made them the top comes out more like a crust than a crinkled skin on top. I think I’m doing everything the same, except that we got a new oven. Any tips here? Bake at lower temp for longer?? Thank you!!
Kathy says
Made these this afternoon. Don’t know what went wrong followed the recipe came out dry & cake like.
What could of happened?
Melania says
I’ve made this recipe three times now. The first time it turned out perfect, but the last two times, including today, it was too watery in the middle even though I cooked it for 40 minutes. I put it back in the oven, but it was still watery in the centre. What did I do wrong?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Melania! Do you happen to remember your process the very first time you made it? Did you make any changes? For example, did you use a larger pan the first time? Do you have an oven thermometer? With a little more info we can figure it out.
Amy P says
Outstanding recipe! I used a 9×9 pan and baked for 30 minutes. Lovely crinkled top and fudgey texture. 100% will make again!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Amy! Glad you liked it. Thank you 🥰
Natalie says
These are yummy!! Really glad I used a 9×13 pan. It makes a lot of batter. The first night, I felt like they were more cakey than I hoped, but they’ve become more fudgy each day. Great chocolate flavor and I love the crinkle top. I cooked them for 30 min but I think next time I’ll check at 25 min. Will make again!!
Al says
These brownies are amazing! I used the optional 115 grams of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 6 grams of instant espresso granules and followed the recipe as it was written. Thank you Emilie for another fantastic recipe!
Amanda says
Made these last week and I think they are the best homemade brownies I’ve ever tasted and made! Run, don’t walk to make these, they are amazing! I did use half the sugar the recipe calls for and they were plenty sweet to me and my kids and that didn’t seem to affect the texture.
Charlie yokeley says
Made these with some discard i had been saving and these are easily the best brownies I’ve ever had. I gave some to my coworkers at work and they all loved them.
Emilie Raffa says
Thanks Charlie! So glad you liked them.
Allison Sims says
Heads up – these come out a little more “cakey” and less “chewy”. Otherwise, good chocolate flavor.
Devin O says
Obsessed with this recipe!! Mine always puff up in the middle and then sink after cooling – any tips on what is causing this?
Thankfully they are delicious no matter what 🤤
Dana says
Hi! Looks amazing. Any tips on how to make it nondairy? Can’t use butter so was thinking to use coconut oil or margarine? Any tips?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Dana! Unfortunately, I haven’t tested this recipe with non dairy ingredients. If you experiment, please let us know and I’ll make some updates here. 🥰
Shoshana says
I’ve been making these with canola oil and they come out delicious.
Jamie says
SOOOOO good! Highly recommended – teenager approved!
Christina says
This recipe sounds delicious! Is there a method you recommend where I can make these sourdough?
Allison S says
Made these brownies today and they are the best brownies I’ve ever made! They’re bakery quality. I’ve made good brownies before, but these are next level! Is there a nutritional benefit to the sourdough in this recipe, or what’s the main purpose/ benefit?
Anna Tkachuk says
I’m wondering the same thing what is the point of the sourdough starter or discard if you’re not leaving it out to grow a little what is the point of it? Does it add a health benefit or does it make them more fluffy?