Whatever the occasion, you deserve sourdough brownies to celebrate.
The women in my family claim they aren’t too into cakes, donuts, or pastries. But brownies are a different story. They are a welcome substitute for birthday cakes or holiday desserts, but also, a Friday is a good enough excuse to bake up a batch. And I’ve seen these people—who are normally very conscientious about their sugar intake—“even out” a tray of brownies until there is nothing left but crumbs. Doesn’t get more even than that.
Although we almost always opted for a box mix, I now prefer to make them from scratch. For one, it allows me to use up some sourdough discard. The savory addition also happens to complement the deep chocolatey flavor profile.
I make my sourdough brownies with a mix of butter and oil to create a rich, moist, and fudgy crumb. And chocolate chips too, for a textural crunch (plus they apparently help add shine to the top). They can be made in a cake pan, but I’m partial to baking in a cast iron skillet if for no other reason than the rustic charm of it all.
With a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle of hot fudge syrup it could easily be a crowd pleasing birthday treat. Or a kick-ass Friday night. And don’t rule out cutting off slivers until it disappears—I know my family would.
More like this:
Looking for more places to use up that sourdough discard? So am I. It’s become a sort of life mission in fact. At this point, I’ve got a pretty good repertoire going. Check it out here.
If you are looking for more things to make in a cast iron skillet, I’ve got a ton of options for that too. From baked goods to brunches to weeknight dinners, you’ll find it all here.
Sourdough Brownies
Ingredients
- 113 grams (½ cup) unsalted butter plus more for pan
- 198 grams (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 71 grams (½ cup) all purpose flour
- 56 grams (⅔ cup) cocoa powder
- 3 grams (½ tsp) salt
- 2 large eggs
- 50 grams (¼ cup) vegetable or canola oil
- 5 grams (1 tsp) vanilla extract
- 62 grams (¼ cup) sourdough discard 100% hydration
- 85 grams (½ cup) semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter an 8-9 inch cast iron skillet, 8-inch cake pan, or 8×8-inch square pan.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. When melted, add sugar and stir until combined (don’t worry about the sugar fully dissolving). Remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk together.
- In a small bowl combine eggs, oil, vanilla, and sourdough discard. Whisk until combined.
- Add wet ingredient mixtures to dry ingredient mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, adding chocolate chips about halfway through mixing. Mix until just combined, try to avoid overworking the batter.
- Transfer to buttered pan and spread into an even layer with a rubber spatula.
- Bake for about 25-35 minutes or until brownie appear set. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool completely (at least an hour) before slicing and serving.
