Sourdough Brownies

Who knew you could make easy sourdough brownies with sourdough starter? They're full of chocolate flavor and oh so rich and fudgy.

Adding sourdough starter (or discard) to brownies gives them a lovely sour tang which pairs perfectly with the rich, fudgy chocolate.

This sourdough brownie recipe is seriously easy to make. You need one bowl and a brownie tin - that's it! Nothing fancy, no mixers ... but wow will you get a fancy result! And if you prefer your brownies blonde, try these sourdough blondies! You might also like these sourdough chocolate brownie bites!

If you love simple chocolate sourdough recipes, be sure to try these chocolate chunk sourdough muffins, chocolate chip sourdough scones or these sourdough chocolate chip cookies.

What Do Sourdough Brownies Taste Like?

Sourdough brownies taste like regular brownies - only way better!

These brownies have a crackly top (essential for good brownies if you ask me!). It's almost like meringue in texture.

I've used cocoa powder and semi sweet chocolate chips to round out the chocolate flavor. Using both cocoa powder and chocolate chips gives them a rich and fudgy centre that just can't be beaten!

The sourdough starter only adds to this complex flavor profile and rounds out the often too rich feeling brownies can have.

I love eating these slightly warm, topped with the best quality vanilla bean ice cream and sprinkled with tart raspberries - perfection!

Can You Use Sourdough Discard in Chocolate Brownies?

Absolutely. This recipe will work with either fed and bubbly starter or sourdough discard (even if it's been in the fridge) - just let it come to room temperature first.

Chocolate works really well with the more sour notes in sourdough, so you can use discard without worrying that it will overpower the flavor.

In fact, I think that the sour works really well in this recipe!

I alternate between using fed starter and discard - I just use whatever I have on hand at the time. I've been known to feed my starter a little extra just to make a batch of these for dessert!

You could even make this chocolate sourdough starter and use it in these brownies!

Ingredients Needed

• All Purpose Flour - whatever all purpose flour you have on hand will work for this. You don't need a lot because too much flour will make your sourdough brownies cakey.
  
• White Granulated Sugar - now don't be frightened of the amount of sugar in this sourdough brownies recipe. I have tested this recipe countless times with less sugar and it just doesn't work. Trust me on this!
  
• Cocoa Powder - I've used regular cocoa powder from the grocery store. You can use Dutch Processed cocoa powder if you prefer.
  
• Salt - salt is essential to cut through the sweetness. I actually add 5g to my sourdough brownies because I love salt, but I've listed a little less in the recipe below as I know not everyone loves salt like I do!
  
• Baking Powder - go easy on the baking powder. Too much baking powder will mean your sourdough brownies will rise on the edges and then sink in the middle, so stick to the recipe on this one.
  
• Melted Butter - I've used salted butter but you can use unsalted butter if you prefer.
  
• Eggs - I've used 2 large eggs. If your eggs are small, use 3. Mine are from my backyard chickens so they tend to be on the large side. Make sure your eggs are room temperature and not cold as this will help them to combine with the other ingredients more easily.
  
• Vanilla Extract
  
• Sourdough Starter - you can use sourdough starter or sourdough starter discard, it's up to you. You can read about the differences between sourdough starter and sourdough discard here. I prefer using sourdough starter or sourdough discard at room temperature, not straight from the fridge.
  
• Chocolate Chips - I've used semi sweet chocolate chips, but you can use whatever you like to eat. Even peanut butter or butterscotch chips work really well in this sourdough brownies recipe.

How To Make Sourdough Brownies?

Sourdough brownies are so easy to put together! You literally need a few ingredients, a mixing bowl and a brownie pan!

If the starter is too thick it won’t combine well and you might end up with chunks of cooked sourdough starter through the recipe. This isn't what you want in these fudgy brownies.

I've used a 9" x 9" brownie pan and get 9 equal squares of brownie from this (approximately 120g each). It's up to you whether you grease the pan with butter or line it with parchment paper.

Here's how to make Sourdough Chocolate Brownies:

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F.

In a bowl, add the all purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Whisk the dry ingredients together until well combined. 

Place the chocolate chips in the bowl and mix until they are all coated in the flour mixture.

On top of the dry ingredients, add the melted butter, 2 eggs, vanilla extract and sourdough starter.Using a spatula, gently mix all of the wet and dry ingredients together, ensuring that the sourdough starter is well combined (see notes for more info on this).This is a thick brownie mixture - that’s ok, it’s meant to be like this.

Place the sourdough brownie mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes at 160C/320F. Because this is a thick mixture, you might need to push the mixture out to the edges of the pan before placing it in the oven.

Check the sourdough brownies at 35 minutes by inserting a tooth pick - you want it to come out wet still but they should be crackly and baked on top.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for around 30 minutes. Then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into squares.

Tips for Baking Sourdough Brownies

There are a few things that make a really good chocolate brownie! Here are my best tips for making sure you get a lovely, chocolatey, fudgy brownie!

• Don't be frightened of the amount of cocoa powder in this recipe. I promise it works and they will come out rich and fudgy and full of chocolate flavor!
  
• If your sourdough starter is very thick, I recommend mixing the wet ingredients together first and then adding it to the dry ingredients. If your starter is fairly liquid and can be poured into the bowl you can just add it as normal.
  
• Don't overcook the brownies. They are better undercooked than over! If you like them super fudgy, reduce the cooking time by a few minutes and remove from the oven when they are still wobbly in the middle. If you insert a skewer in - it should come out covered in batter!
  
• If you prefer them more cakey then cook them until the skewer comes out mostly clean.

Flavor Variations

There are so many ways you can make this sourdough brownies recipe suit your own brownie tastes!

Here are some ideas to for your next brownie bake!

• Mix through some white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts instead of the semi sweet chocolate chips.
  
• Add a tablespoon of cinnamon and teaspoon of ginger to the dry ingredients. Crush up sourdough biscoff cookies and push them into the batter before baking.
  
• Add a shot of espresso to the batter and top with pecans before baking.
  
• Push a punnet of fresh raspberries or blueberries into the batter before you bake the brownies.
  
• Dust with powdered sugar once the sourdough brownies have cooled completely.

How To Store & Freeze

Sourdough brownies will last for around 7 days in an airtight container. I've had better luck keeping them in a tin lined with parchment paper than plastic.

You can freeze them. Wrap in parchment paper and then in tin foil and freeze. It's better to freeze them as a whole "cake" rather than cut before freezing.

To defrost, allow them to sit on the counter until thawed through. Warm slightly before serving (microwave is fine).

Want More Chocolate Sourdough Recipes?

If you are loving these easy sourdough brownies, why not try these other chocolate sourdough recipes:

• Make this chocolate sourdough starter and add it to your brownies!
  
• Try this sourdough chocolate discard loaf!
  
• You'll love this sourdough chocolate star bread!
  
• Prefer donuts? Why not try these sourdough baked donuts!

Share the sourdough love!