Back to postsBrown Butter Sourdough Discard Brownies (The Fudgiest You'll Ever Make)

Brown Butter Sourdough Discard Brownies (The Fudgiest You'll Ever Make)

So here's the thing about sourdough discard: it's liquid gold that too many people pour down the drain.



I've been there. You feed your starter, stare at that half cup of discard, and think "I should make something with this." Then you don't, and it goes bad in your fridge, and you feel guilty. Rinse and repeat.



These brownies changed everything for me. Not only do they use a full 200g of discard (that's almost a cup), but the discard actually MAKES them better. That subtle tang? It cuts through the richness of the chocolate like nothing else. Paired with brown butter? INCREDIBLE.



I've made these 6 times in the past month. Tweaked the ratios. Adjusted the technique. And now I can confidently say: this is the brownie recipe you need.



Why These Brownies Work



The discard does three things:



  • Adds moisture without making them cakey

  • Creates that subtle tang (like cream cheese in cheesecake)

  • Helps develop the shiny, crackly top



The brown butter adds:



  • Nutty, toffee-like depth

  • Complexity that makes people say "what IS that flavor?"

  • Richness that regular butter just can't match



The technique:



  • Whipping the eggs and sugar creates that meringue-like shiny top

  • Blooming the cocoa in warm brown butter intensifies the chocolate flavor

  • Underbaking slightly keeps them fudgy (trust me on this)



The Recipe: Brown Butter Sourdough Discard Brownies



Makes 16 brownies | Prep: 20 min | Bake: 28-32 min



Ingredients



  • 170g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter

  • 75g (3/4 cup) Dutch-process cocoa powder

  • 200g (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) sourdough discard (unfed, straight from fridge is fine)

  • 300g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar

  • 100g (1/2 cup) dark brown sugar, packed

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 100g (3/4 cup) all-purpose flour

  • 150g (1 cup) dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate



Instructions



1. Brown the butter

In a light-colored saucepan (so you can see the color), melt butter over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until it foams and turns golden brown with little brown bits at the bottom. This takes 5-7 minutes. Don't walk away—it goes from perfect to burnt fast. Pour into a large heatproof bowl and let cool 5 minutes.



2. Bloom the cocoa

Whisk the cocoa powder into the warm brown butter until smooth. This "blooms" the cocoa, intensifying the chocolate flavor. Let cool another 5 minutes until just warm (not hot).



3. Add the discard

Whisk in the sourdough discard until completely combined. The mixture will look grainy at first—keep whisking until smooth.



4. Whip the eggs and sugar

(Don't skip this step—this is how you get the shiny top)

In a separate large bowl, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until pale, thick, and nearly doubled in volume. The mixture should fall off the beaters in a ribbon that sits on top for a few seconds.



5. Combine

Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until just combined. Don't overmix—you want to keep that air.



6. Add flour and chocolate

Gently fold in the flour until almost combined, then fold in the chocolate chips. A few flour streaks are okay.



7. Bake

Pour into a greased and parchment-lined 8×8 inch pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 28-32 minutes. The edges should be set but the center should still have a slight jiggle when you shake the pan. A toothpick inserted should come out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).



8. Cool completely

This is the hardest part. Let them cool in the pan for at least 2 hours, preferably 4. They need time to set up and develop that fudgy texture. (I know, I know. But trust me.)



What If I Don't Have a KitchenAid Mixer?



Hand mixer works fine! You can even do it by hand with a whisk, but you'll need some arm strength and about 5-6 minutes of vigorous whisking. The sugar-egg mixture needs to be thick and pale.



Troubleshooting



My brownies are cakey, not fudgy

You overbaked them OR overmixed after adding flour. Next time, pull them when the center still jiggles slightly.



No shiny top

The egg-sugar mixture wasn't whipped enough, or you overmixed when combining. That air is what creates the meringue-like surface.



Too tangy

Your discard might be very acidic. Use discard that's no more than a week old, or reduce to 150g and add 50g butter.



Crumbly/not holding together

You need to let them cool completely. I mean it. Warm brownies are delicious but they'll fall apart. Patience.



Make Ahead & Storage



These actually get BETTER on day 2 as the flavors meld. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. (If they last that long. Mine never do.)



The Discard Question I Always Get



"Can I use discard that's been in the fridge for two weeks?"



If it doesn't have mold or pink/orange streaks, yes. The older the discard, the tangier the flavor. I personally like discard that's 3-7 days old for these. Older than that gets too acidic for my taste, but it's still safe to use.



"Do I need to bring the discard to room temperature?"



Nope. Straight from the fridge is fine. The warm brown butter will bring it up to temp.



Why This Recipe Took 6 Tries



I wanted three things:



  1. That shiny, crackly top (achieved through proper egg-sugar whipping)

  2. Fudgy, not cakey texture (achieved through underbaking slightly)

  3. Complex flavor without being too tangy (achieved through brown butter balance)



Attempt 1: Good flavor, no shiny top. Back to the drawing board.

Attempt 2: Shiny top but overbaked. Dry.

Attempt 3: Forgot to bloom the cocoa. Good but not great.

Attempt 4: Too much discard. Weird texture.

Attempt 5: So close. Just needed more chocolate.

Attempt 6: NAILED IT.



And now you get the benefit of all my testing.



What Popo Would Say



My grandmother never made brownies—too American for her kitchen. But she did believe in not wasting anything. "If you're going to make it, make it right. And use what you have."



These brownies honor both parts of that. They use what you have (that discard you'd otherwise toss), and they're made RIGHT.



So go feed your starter. Then make these brownies. And please, for the love of all things chocolate, let them cool before you cut them.



Have you made sourdough discard brownies before? Drop a comment and let me know how they turned out—or what you're doing with YOUR discard these days.