My new favorite hobby is finding new ways to use your sourdough discard (especially when it involves chocolate). These Sourdough Brownies are everything I want a brownie to be: dense, rich, ultra-fudgy, and topped with that signature crackly crust. If you’ve been wondering whether sourdough discard has a place in dessert recipes, this sourdough discard brownie recipe will prove that it definitely, definitely does.
The tang from the discard adds a subtle depth that balances the chocolate’s sweetness, making each bite interesting and complex. I added mini chocolate chips for even more chocolate flavor and a textural contrast. A little bit of coffee extract and flaky sea salt are optional, but add so much more depth of flavor!
Recipe highlights
- Fudgy, not cakey. These brownies are soft, dense, rich, and fudgy.
- Beautiful crackly tops. A combination of powdered sugar and thorough whisking helps create that signature shiny, crinkled finish.
- Deep chocolate flavor. Bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips come together for an intensely chocolatey result.
- Sourdough discard for the win. A great way to use up leftover starter from your sourdough baking projects.
Recipe overview
⏱️ Prep: ~10 min • Bake: 30-40 min • Total: ~50 min
🍴 Yield: One 8-inch or 9-inch pan (16 squares)
💪 Skill level: Beginner
How to make sourdough brownies
For full recipe details, scroll down to the recipe card toward the bottom of this post. Here’s a quick step-by-step breakdown of how to make this recipe:
- Melt the chocolate and butter. Use a double boiler (not the microwave!) to gently melt them together. Chocolate scorches easily, and low, even heat ensures a silky texture.
- Whisk in the sugars & sourdough discard. Combine the melted chocolate-butter mixture with the sugars and whisk thoroughly. This step helps create the glossy tops you want in a brownie. Whisk in the discard.
- Add the eggs. Use one whole egg and one yolk — this makes the batter slightly richer and keeps the texture fudgy instead of cakey. Add vanilla & coffee extract, if using.
- Add the dry ingredients & chocolate chip. Fold in cocoa powder, salt, and flour until just combined. Don’t over-mix! Gently fold in half the chocolate chips.
- Bake and cool. Pour the batter into a parchment-lined pan, top with remaining chips, and bake until just set in the center. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool.
Pro tips for perfect sourdough brownies
Avoid the microwave. It’s too easy to burn chocolate; a double boiler is worth the extra work.
Whisk well. Thoroughly combining the sugar with the melted chocolate and butter helps form that glossy crust. Whisk for a minute or two, until the mixture falls from the whisk in a smooth, continuous ribbon that sits on the surface for a few seconds before slowly sinking back in.
Use powdered sugar. The fine particles dissolve faster and more completely than granulated, another key to crinkly tops.
Don’t over-bake. Pull the sourdough brownies from the oven when the center still looks slightly soft for that perfect fudgy center. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs.
Egg ratio matters. One egg + one yolk gives just the right structure without adding too much liquid (the whites contain a high amount of water).
Choose your pan size. An 8-inch square pan will yield thicker, taller brownies (as seen in the images here). A 9-inch square pan will result in slightly thinner, more classic brownies.
Variations & substitutions
Add mix-ins. Go wild – add anything you fancy! Fold in chopped walnuts, pecans, dark chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, or anything else you like for added extra texture.
Swap in some espresso. Add a teaspoon of espresso powder in place of coffee extract for an even deeper flavor.
Make it a brownie tart. Spread brownie batter on top of a par-baked shortbread tart crust (flavored with vanilla) and bake until just set. Or try a chocolate shortbread crust instead.
Storing & serving sourdough discard brownies
These brownies keep beautifully at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container, or in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze them individually wrapped and thaw before serving. They’re even delicious slightly chilled.
For an upgrade, serve with a dollop of Creme Fraiche Whipped Cream or Salted Caramel Sauce. To make it really interesting, serve with Candy Cap Caramel!
If you love finding creative ways to use your starter, try some of my other sourdough discard recipes like banana chocolate chip sourdough muffins, brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies or sourdough zucchini muffins.
Did you make these Fudgy Sourdough Brownies? Please leave a star rating and review below the recipe card. It means everything to me!
Fudgy Sourdough Brownies
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsalted butter
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon coffee extract or additional vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- flaky sea salt, for topping, (optional)
Instructions
- Butter an 8×8 inch or 9×9 inch baking dish. Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Place butter and chopped chocolate in a metal bowl. Set bowl over a pot with an inch or two of water and bring it to a low simmer. Melt chocolate mixture slowly, stirring often. Once butter and chocolate are fully melted, remove from heat.
- Whisk in sugars, whisking vigorously until well combined and shiny, about 3 minutes. Whisk in sourdough discard.
- Add eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla and coffee extracts; whisk well to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture and fold together gently with a spatula.
- Fold in about 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.
- Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 30-40 minutes (time will vary based on material and size of baking pan). Top with flaky sea salt, if desired.
- Allow to cool completely before slicing and eating.
Did you try this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment below!
