Fudgy Sourdough Discard Brownies (Printable)

Rich sourdough brownies, ultra-fudgy with a hint of tang and sprinkled with sea salt.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chocolate & Fats

01 - 6 oz dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa), chopped
02 - ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
03 - ¼ cup neutral oil (canola or vegetable)

→ Sugars

04 - 1 cup granulated sugar
05 - ½ cup light brown sugar, packed

→ Eggs & Sourdough

06 - 2 large eggs, at room temperature
07 - 1 large egg yolk
08 - ½ cup sourdough discard, unfed and at room temperature
09 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

10 - ½ cup all-purpose flour
11 - ⅓ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
12 - ½ tsp fine sea salt

→ Topping

13 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal.
02 - In a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in oil.
03 - Whisk in both granulated and brown sugar until mixture is glossy and fully combined.
04 - Add eggs and egg yolk one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk vigorously for 1–2 minutes until mixture is thick and shiny.
05 - Stir in sourdough discard and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
06 - Sift in flour, cocoa powder, and fine sea salt. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined; do not overmix.
07 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt.
08 - Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until the edges are set but the center is still slightly soft. A toothpick inserted should come out with moist crumbs.
09 - Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting out using parchment overhang. Slice into 16 squares.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sourdough discard creates a fudgy crumb so dense and tender that regular brownies feel cake-like by comparison.
  • Sea salt on top hits you with that salty-sweet moment that makes people pause mid-chew and ask what you did differently.
  • You finally have a purpose for that starter languishing in your fridge, guilt-free.
02 -
  • The egg yolk is not optional—it's what gives fudgy brownies their characteristic structure, and skipping it to make the recipe vegan won't work here without major adjustments.
  • Overbaking by even two minutes turns them from fudgy to cakey, so set a timer and check at 28 minutes first, then decide if they need more time.
03 -
  • Use a bench scraper or hot, wet knife to cut clean squares—it sounds fussy but it's the difference between beautiful brownies and torn, ragged ones.
  • If your sourdough discard is extra thin and watery, reduce the oil by a tablespoon or two, because the moisture content changes the outcome more than you'd expect.
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