The Best Fudgy Sourdough Brownies
Biting into these sourdough brownies is pure magic—crackly on top, fudgy in the middle, and rich with deep chocolate flavor. The hint of tang from the sourdough starter adds just the right balance, making each bite irresistibly complex. These perfect brownies keep you coming back for more. Trust me, once you try them, you will want to make them all the time!
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- rich chocolate flavor
- fudgy consistency
- subtle complex sourdough flavor
- easy one-bowl recipe
- customizable recipe
The ingredients
- Butter: unsalted butter adds to the full flavor of these brownies
- Chocolate chips: I recommend either semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
- Eggs: large eggs, preferably free-range are my favorite
- Vanilla: vanilla compliments the chocolate flavors; you can use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract
- Sourdough starter: if you don’t already have one, you can easily make your own sourdough starter
- Sugar: I use regular granulated sugar
- Flour: all-purpose flour is great
- Cocoa powder: for that deep chocolate flavor
- Salt: a bit of salt brings out the sweet and chocolatey flavors
Useful tools and equipment
You won’t need much for this sourdough brownies recipe but I recommend the following:
- Large mixing bowl: the beauty of this easy recipe is that you can mix everything in just one bowl
- Double boiler OR medium Pyrex measuring cup: those come in handy for melting the butter and chocolate chips
- Stainless steel wire whisk: makes mixing so easy
- Baking dish: I use a 9″x9″ glass pan
- Parchment paper: while not absolutely necessary, I recommend lining your baking dish with parchment paper to easily remove these sourdough brownies
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons: they make measuring the ingredients easy
Substitutions and variations
Here are some fun ways to vary this great recipe:
- Butter: you can also use oil (I prefer a neutral oil such as avocado oil but if you don’t mind the flavor, you can also use olive oil) or coconut oil
- Chocolate chips: semi-sweet chocolate chips work great but for an even deeper chocolate flavor you can also use dark chocolate chips or a good-quality chocolate bar, chocolate lovers will appreciate extra chocolate chips in the brownie batter
- Sourdough starter: you can either use an active sourdough starter or your sourdough starter discard, if you don’t have one check out how to easily make your own sourdough starter
- Sugar: I like to use cane sugar but you can also substitute some of all of that with dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
- Flour: you can also use whole wheat flour, spelt flour, rye flour but I don’t recommend cake flour
- Cocoa powder: this recipe is great with either Dutch process cocoa or regular cocoa powder
- Nuts: we often like to add some walnuts to the brownie batter before baking
- Flaky salt: if you like you can sprinkle some flaky salt on top of your homemade brownies
- Full fermentation: while you can whip this recipe up in less than 15 minutes, you can also prepare the brownie batter and let it ferment for 8-24 hours in the refrigerator for an even more pronounced sourdough flavor
How to serve
I don’t think anyone needs instructions on how to eat these easy sourdough brownies but they sure are perfect with a glass of milk or any time you get some chocolate cravings.
You can also serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. They are perfect any time of day and are certainly a great dessert recipe.
Make ahead of time?
We love to eat these delicious brownies fresh but they will keep
- at room temperature: up to 4 days in an airtight container
- in the refrigerator: up to 1 one tightly covered in plastic wrap or an airtight container
- in the freezer: up to 3 months if tightly wrapped to keep them from drying out
Other sourdough recipes you might like
Be sure to try these recipes, too:
- Moist Sourdough Carrot Cake
- Delicious Sourdough Lemon Cake
- Easy Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
How to make this recipe
1. Preheat the oven and prep the baking dish:
Preheat your oven to 325˚F (162˚C). Line the baking dish with parchment paper. Alternatively, you can grease the pan with oil or butter.
2. Melt butter and chocolate:
Using a double-boiler, melt the butter and chocolate over medium heat. Alternatively, you can melt them in a glass dish in the microwave.
3. Mix the wet ingredients:
Add the melted butter and chocolate to a large bowl and let it slightly cool down. Add the eggs, sourdough starter, and vanilla extract. Mix well with a wire whisk or a handheld mixer.
4. Add the dry ingredients:
Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt to the chocolate mixture. Mix them in just until combined but avoid overmixing.
5. Transfer to baking dish:
Add the brownie batter to the prepared pan and gently smooth the top.
6. Bake the brownies:
Place the brownies in the preheated oven and bake them for 40-50 minutes. Remove them from the oven while they are slightly underbaked. This means that there will be a little bit of brownie batter on an inserted toothpick or knife.
7. Let the brownies cool completely:
Just know that the brownies will continue baking for a bit after you remove them from the oven. That is why I recommend to slightly underbake them. For best results, allow them to cool down completely before cutting into them.
FAQs
Yes, you can either use your active starter or use sourdough discard.
They are but you can bake them about 10 mins longer if you want them more cakey.
You can really use any flour you have. Most people will use AP flour but whole-grain flour, spelt, or rye flour are great, too.
I recommend slightly underbaking these brownies as they will continue to bake after you remove them from the oven. When you insert a toothpick or small knife, there should be just a little bit of batter on it. Be sure to allow the brownies to cool down completely before cutting into them!
If you would like to get the benefits of long fermentation, I recommend transferring the brownie batter to the refrigerator for 8-24 hours before baking.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
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Sourdough Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ c butter
- ½ c chocolate chips
- ½ c sourdough starter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ c sugar
- ¾ c flour
- ⅔ c cocoa powder
- ¾ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325˚F (162˚C). Line a 9"x9" baking dish with parchment paper.
- Over medium heat in a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate chips. Let them cool down slightly.
- Add the butter-chocolate mixture to a large bowl. Add the sourdough starter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and just mix until combine. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared baking dish.
- Bake the brownies for 40-50 mins or until a toothpick comes out with just a little batter stuck to it. The brownies should be ever so slightly underbaked. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Notes
- you can use either an active sourdough starter or sourdough discard
- for extra chocolate flavor, you can add another ⅓ c of chocolate chips to the brownie batter before baking
- you can also long-ferment the brownie batter in the fridge for 8-24 hours before baking
I know you’re going to LOVE this recipe, it’s definitely a family favorite — don’t forget that you can ask me all your questions in this comments section and I’ll get back to you as fast as I can.