One thing I’ve learned through sharing and writing recipes over the past 15 years is: “Give the people what they want.” And because I attended a potluck last week where more than a half-dozen people asked me for the recipe for these sourdough discard brownies, I knew what my next column would focus on. Or, as one person bluntly put it, “Could you please share this recipe in your next column so I don’t have to start digging around for it?” Ask and ye shall receive.
A little background: I have to avoid wheat but can eat sourdough bread. I brought some mother into our kitchen last summer, excited to start on my sourdough journey. It was more math and science than I would have preferred, and quickly handed it all off to my sweet husband. Since then, he has become a sourdough expert, producing challah, rounds, batards, focaccia, ciabatta, bagels, pizza and even baguettes.
As sourdough bakers can attest, the discard from feeding a sourdough starter quickly accumulates. My husband, loath to throw anything away, has developed a repertoire of baked goods using sourdough discard. Right now we have multiple bags of English muffins and waffles in the freezer for weekday breakfasts for the kids, and two containers of sourdough crackers — one zaatar, one toragashi — on the counter. Yes, I know, I married well.
But these sourdough brownies are a clear winner. He made some in a mini-muffin tray, making bite-sized treats for us to nibble on as we pass through the kitchen. But it was an 8×8-inch square pan of these brownies that really knocked our socks off. They were rich and gooey and had a great chocolatey taste. They are a King Arthur recipe, which is the gold-standard for baking recipes. There’s no additional flour, just starter, butter, sugar, eggs, chocolate, baking powder and salt. The discard lends them a slight tang, not unlike a cream-cheese brownie.
Sourdough Discard Brownies from King Arthur Baking Company
Ingredients
8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter
1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (54g) light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup (63g) unsweetened cocoa, Dutch process or natural
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon table salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (113g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard, no more than 2 weeks old
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons (117g) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Directions
Lightly grease an 8″ square pan, then line with parchment and lightly grease the parchment.
Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center.
In a large saucepan, heat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally to encourage even melting, until the mixture is very hot (the butter should be bubbling around the edges of the pan) and the sugar is starting to dissolve, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately whisk in the cocoa, vanilla, and salt, whisking until the mixture is smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes (the mixture and pot should still be quite warm), then add the eggs one at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition. The mixture may look greasy and broken after the first egg, but it will turn smooth and glossy after the second.
Whisk in the sourdough starter and baking powder until no streaks of starter remain, then vigorously stir in 1/2 cup (85g) of the chocolate chips, encouraging them to melt into the warm
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the remaining 3 tablespoons (32g) chocolate chips.
Bake the sourdough brownies for 22 to 26 minutes, until the top is shiny but not wet-looking, the edges are starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, and an inserted toothpick comes out with no raw batter.
Let the brownies cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour. For the easiest slicing, cover the cooled brownies and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Brownies keep best (and taste best!) wrapped tightly and stored in the refrigerator, where they’ll last for up to 1 week, or the freezer, where they’ll last for several months. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Molly Parr lives in Florence with her husband and two young daughters. She’s been writing her food blog, Cheap Beets, since 2010. Send questions or comments to molly.parr@gmail.com.