Sourdough Discard Brownies (Super Easy)

I won’t even make you use two bowls. All you have to do is dump everything in, mix it up, and bake. And while you might be a little nervous about a sourdough starter in a dessert, there’s no need to be. Your brownies won’t be sour, just mysteriously delicious. Enjoy!

As an avowed brownie mix-lover (but only a certain brand), I am quite picky about brownies. I want them moist but not like actual piece of fudge. I want chocolate chips in there but also chocolate flavor in the batter. And there must be a shiny, crackly top. Being able to use leftover starter is just a bonus.

Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup sourdough starter
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Prep the Pan and Oven

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. I always recommend lining your 9×13 pan with parchment paper. Leave a little bit of a “handle” hanging over the sides so you can lift the entire block of brownies out later.

If you don’t have parchment, a good coating of nonstick spray is fine, but the paper makes cleanup much faster.

2. Combine the Base Ingredients

In one large bowl, mix your oil, cocoa, flour, sugar, salt, eggs, sourdough starter, and vanilla.

My best tip here: Make sure your eggs and sourdough starter aren’t freezing cold from the fridge. If they are room temperature, the batter will come together much smoother and look shiny. If you use a hand mixer, keep it on low. You want the batter to look uniform and glossy.

3. Fold in the Chocolate Chips

Once the batter is smooth, put the mixer away and grab a spatula. Stir in your chocolate chips by hand.

Don’t overmix. This is where people usually go wrong. If you stir too much once the flour is in, you’ll develop the gluten and end up with a cakey, tough brownie. Just fold until you don’t see any more streaks of flour, then stop.

4. The Bake

Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Every oven is different, so start checking at the 20-minute mark. Insert a toothpick into the center. You are looking for moist crumbs, not wet batter. If the toothpick comes out completely clean, you’ve probably overbaked them. They will continue to firm up as they sit on the counter.

5. The Cooling Wait

I know it’s tempting to cut into these immediately, but you need to wait at least 20 minutes. These brownies are very moist, and they need that time to “set” so they don’t fall apart when you slice them.

f you used parchment paper, you can lift the whole batch out onto a cutting board for perfectly even squares.

Storage Instructions

Store these brownies in an airtight container for three days on the counter or a week in the fridge. They freeze well for three months if wrapped individually, which is a great way to have a treat ready.

Printable Recipe