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
- 50 g (~ 1/4 cup) active sourdough starter or sourdough discard
- 25 g (4 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 185 g (1 1/c 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.
- After mixing, some bakers reported having too much batter to fit a metal 8×8-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 8x8-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.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Line an 8×8 inch metal pan or 9×13-inch metal pan with parchment paper (please read the Notes & Tips section above if using a 9×13-inch metal pan OR a glass pan). 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 and salt. 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 30 minutes (9×13-inch metal pan) OR 35-40 minutes (8×8-inch metal pan) or until the top is set. 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.
- 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 completely 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.
