Sourdough Brownies

Take a teaspoon of cocoa powder and put it in your mouth.
If you’re like most ordinary people, you won’t think it’s a great taste experience.
But let’s say you decide to add some fat and, perhaps, some sugar.

Now we are talking.

These are the main ingredients in dark chocolate, something many people are craving every day.
One way to satisfy the craving is to bake sourdough brownies. That way, you can also make use of some sourdough discard you didn’t want to waste and is sitting in your refrigerator now.

When I bake bread, there are not that many ingredients involved. I mean, most of the time, you only need flour, salt, water, and your sourdough starter. But when the ingredients start to increase in numbers, it can be a good idea to create your own mise an place to keep everything organized.

If you are really serious about baking, it may be time for you to consider creating a baking station where you can keep all your tools and ingredients.
Perhaps this article can give you some inspiration.

Here are a few related articles you may want to read:

Tarte au sucre

Churros with sourdough starter

EGGS

Use organic eggs. I don’t think there’s anything more to be said about eggs.

SUGAR

I used caster sugar for this recipe. But next time, I will try brown sugar or perhaps muscovado sugar.

CACAO OR COCOA

The difference between cacao and cocoa is that cacao is not processed, which means that the beans have not been roasted.
Thanks to the more gentle handling, cacao has more nutritional value. But it also has a more bitter taste that not everybody likes.
It also tends to be more expensive, at least here in Sweden.

In this recipe, I have used unsweetened cocoa powder. But next time, I’m thinking about adding some cacao as well. Perhaps a mix of 50/50.

BUTTER

I used salted butter, but if you prefer unsalted butter, it works fine.
Perhaps you want to try to make your own butter?
Please don’t use margarine.

CHOCOLATE

Spending some extra money on the chocolate will improve the result, I promise.
Higher cocoa content means more expensive chocolate, but you will be rewarded with a better taste in your brownies.
Go for at least 65% cocoa, preferably higher. Your tasting buds will thank you.

VANILLA

When I started blogging, I realized, to my surprise, that vanilla sugar is not as common in the rest of the world as it is in Sweden.
And since most of my readers are from English-speaking countries, this recipe calls for vanilla extract.
But if you happen to come from Sweden, you can just exchange it for 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar instead.

NUTS

Use whatever you want. I used hazelnuts, but I’m sure almonds, pecan, or walnuts work just as fine.
Just don’t forget to toast them.

SOURDOUGH STARTER

Finally, there is the sourdough starter. The starter used in this recipe has a hydration of 100%, which means the same amount of flour and water by weight.

But what if you don’t have a sourdough starter?

Don’t worry. You can still make this recipe for sourdough brownies. Just add 50 grams of water and 50 grams of flour instead. All-purpose flour works fine.
You will, of course, don’t get all the exciting flavors of a genuine sourdough starter, but the result will still be great.

How much taste from the starter will there be?
Well, that depends on your starter. If it’s a young starter that has been fed earlier the same day, you won’t notice that much.
But if it’s a couple of weeks old, taken directly from the fridge, perhaps with a layer of hooch on top, it will give the brownies a tangy touch for sure.

HOW I MADE THESE SOURDOUGH BROWNIES

I started by preheating the oven to 350°F/175°C and toasted the nuts gently in a skillet.

Then I melted the chocolate and butter in the microwave oven. Use a pot on low heat on the stove if you prefer that. Just make sure to stir now and then to prevent it from burning.

Meanwhile, I whipped sugar, vanilla, salt, and eggs into a fluffy mixture.
I also chopped the hazelnuts coarsely.

When the butter and chocolate had cooled for a while, they were mixed with sourdough starter and the nuts.

Finally, I added the mixture into the bowl with eggs and sugar and folded everything together until almost combined.

All that remained was to pour everything into a baking tin lined with parchment paper and put it into the oven.

After 25 minutes, it was ready.

THE HARDEST PART

Now comes the hardest part of the recipe.
Waiting for these sourdough brownies to cool.
Your kitchen will be full of divine scents, so it will not be easy.

You can cut them into squares and serve them as they are, or you can add some whipped cream and perhaps a pinch of flake salt.
It’s your choice.