Sourdough Discard Brownies Sea Salt (Print Version)

Fudgy brownies blended with sourdough discard and topped with sea salt flakes for a sweet-savory touch.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
04 - 1/2 cup sourdough discard, unfed with 100% hydration
05 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

06 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Mix-ins and Topping

10 - 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
11 - 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt for topping

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar until glossy and well combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until the mixture becomes thick and lighter in color.
03 - Stir in sourdough discard and vanilla extract until fully incorporated into the wet mixture.
04 - In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and fine sea salt to remove lumps and aerate the mixture.
05 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain a tender crumb structure.
06 - Fold chocolate chips or chopped chocolate into the batter using a spatula.
07 - Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top surface evenly. Sprinkle flaky sea salt uniformly across the surface.
08 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges with a few moist crumbs but not wet batter.
09 - Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan before lifting out and cutting into squares for serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • Your sourdough discard finally has a purpose beyond the compost bin, and these brownies taste like you planned it that way.
  • The fudgy crumb is foolproof and forgiving, even if you're not a practiced baker.
  • That sea salt flake finish feels fancy without requiring any actual fancy technique.
02 -
  • Room-temperature eggs and butter truly do mix smoother and emulsify better, which translates to a more luxurious crumb, so this isn't a nice-to-have detail.
  • The sourdough discard should be unfed and pourable, not thick and bubbly starter, because the hydration level changes how the batter sets.
  • Stopping the mixer when the dry ingredients are just combined is the difference between fudgy and dense, so resist the urge to fully incorporate.
03 -
  • Use a dry knife or wipe your blade between slices if you want clean edges instead of brownie crumbles, and let the brownies cool completely before attempting this.
  • If your sourdough discard is thicker than pancake batter, thin it with a teaspoon of water so the batter reaches the right consistency.
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