Chocolate Brownies using Sourdough Starter Discard

These Chocolate Brownies using Sourdough Starter Discard are so moist and delicious, they won’t last long in any house. This quick and easy sourdough brownie recipe is a great way to use your leftover sourdough starter.

Chocolate Brownies using Sourdough Starter Discard

These delicious brownies taste great on their own with a cuppa for morning or afternoon tea, or you can serve them with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a bowl of ice cream. You could also ice them with chocolate icing or sprinkle with a little icing sugar before serving.

Using your Sourdough Starter

When you want to use your sourdough starter in a recipe such as sourdough bread, then feed it about 4 – 8 hours before intending to use it, letting it stand at room temperature, and allowing it to double in volume, with bubbles appearing, breaking the surface. This indicates that the starter is strong and active and ready for use. Remove what you need, feed and then store until next time. The sourdough that is removed is what is used in this recipe. If you don’t have a sourdough starter, they are easy to start. They do take some time to get them up to the stage where they are ready to use, but it is all worth it!

100% Starter Hydration

For this recipe, you will need sourdough starter discard that is at room temperature and 100% hydration.

To achieve this, you will need to make sure that you are feeding your sourdough with equal weights of starter, flour and water. If you are feeding your sourdough by volume, the best way to achieve this is to feed it ½ cup of starter, 1 cup of flour and ½ cup of water. If you use the same amount of starter and flour and only ¼ cup of water, then your starter will be at 50% hydration.

Sourdough Brownies

To make these brownies, you will need:

• 1/2 cup sourdough starter discard – 100% hydration sourdough starter discard, room temperature
• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup chocolate melts
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup caster sugar
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• 2 eggs

Before you start, make sure to preheat your oven to 170˚C (338˚F).

Line a small Lavington tray or square cake tray with baking paper.

Place the butter and the chocolate melts into a saucepan and melt over low heat. Stir often to combine and make sure that it doesn’t burn.

When melted, pour into a large mixing bowl.

Slowly mix in the sugar, vanilla and salt.

Gently mix through the cocoa powder and the eggs.

Add the sourdough discard and mix through.

Pour the batter into the prepared tray and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until a skewer insterted into the centre comes out clean. It is a good idea to start checking from around the 25 minute mark. You don’t want to over bake these delicious brownies.

Let them cool in the pan before removing and slicing.

Storing Brownies

Due to our warmer climate, I prefer to keep these in an airtight container in the fridge, though if you have a cooler climate, you could store them for around 2 days on the bench in an airtight container. If you store on the bench they will have a different texture, more like a cake, then if you store them in the fridge – more of a fudge type texture.

These brownies can be frozen, with baking paper layered between each piece to prevent them from sticking together.

If you like this sourdough starter discard recipe, you should try these sourdough discard donuts, sourdough discard pancakes or these sourdough discard blueberry muffins!