Think sourdough is just for bread? Think again. These amazing sourdough brownies are based on the “Impossible Brownie Pie” recipe in GNOWFGLINS Sourdough A to Z e-book. The lovely miss Wardeh Harmon, also author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Fermenting Foods, has graciously allowed me to share this recipe with you.
Brownies are only one of the sourdough recipes you might not expect that are shared in Sourdough A to Z. You will also find:
- Chocolate and Spice Cakes
- Pancakes and Waffles
- Crepes
- Cinnamon Rolls
- English Muffins
- Crackers
- Pizza
- Pocket Bread
- Donuts
- Scones
- Biscuits
- Pasta! (Yes, sourdough pasta!)
- Cookies
- and much more
The book is 149 pages, and is the most used e-book I have purchased to date. Everything I’ve tried, we’ve liked. They also give instructions on capturing your own sourdough starter, tending your starter, and storing your starter – including drying for extended storage.
Sourdough Brownies
- 4 chicken eggs or two duck eggs
- 4 ounces melted chocolate of choice OR a combination of 1/4 cup cocoa + 2 1/2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil +1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter (doesn’t need to be in active, domed state)
- 1/2 to 1 cup of natural sweetener such as sucanat, rapadura, honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter or coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch or two of sea salt (eliminate if using salted butter)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- crispy nuts (optional)
This recipe is supposed to make one 9-inch round or square pan. Personally, I use a 10 inch round deep dish pie plate.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease your baking dish. (I use lard for greasing my pans.)
In a blender, food processor, or medium sized bowl with wire whisk or beat in hand, combine all ingredients (except nuts) until very smooth. I cheat and put the food processor on high and let ‘er rip. 
Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.
Batter ready to go in oven. Note how it only fills the pie plate halfway.
Place in oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The edges should be set but the center should still look a little soft. Don’t bake too long or the brownie will get tough and dry. With a glass, 10 inch round pie plate, at 25 minutes it was still like pudding, but 30 minutes was perfectly soft and fudgy in the middle and chewy on the edges. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy with a glass of cold milk, or ice cream or whipped cream if you want to get fancy.
Note how the baked brownies now reach all the way to the top of the pie plate.
These brownies freeze well and keep in a covered container in the fridge for one week – if they last that long… 
This is a great way to use up excess starter that is “just waking up”.
Visit GNOWFGLINS to order your copy of the Sourdough a to Z e-book, or if you prefer, they have a full online course about sourdough (as well as other online courses). They are good people with good information, and I’m proud to be an affiliate.
You may also enjoy Easy Chocolate Brownies.
6 Responses to “Sourdough Brownies”
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I just found out I can make a gluten free starter with rice flour. I didn’t see any additional flour in this recipe. Could I use the gluten free starter for these. They look amazing and I would love to try this. I don’t know anything about sour dough because I didn’t know it could be GF until just recently.
Yes, it should work with gluten free sourdough starter, although I haven’t tried it yet. There is no added flour beyond the starter. The leavening comes from the sourness of the starter combined with the baking soda.
Hi! I made this today. Must have done something wrong. My sourdough starter is made with instant potato. It didn’t look anything like yours. Mine was very dark and didn’t rise. It tasted like chocolate eggs. Are you sure the recipe doesn’t need flour?
Hmmm…nope, I know it doesn’t need additional flour. One of the reasons I like the recipe is because it used plain starter – no extra souring time required. The baking soda should react with the acidity of the sourdough to provide a leavening effect. I’ve made this in the food processor with more active starter and mixed by hand with a less active starter, and it worked both ways. Let me check with Wardeh and see if she has any ideas.
Here’s what Wardeh had to say:
“I don’t know much about potato flake starters, except that you can’t use it interchangeably with our kind of sourdough starter.
I do think it is likely it is less acidic — that would have been my guess. She could try adding some vinegar to her batter to make it more acidic and therefore will react with the baking soda. And/or more leavening. It is hard to know for sure as this recipe wasn’t written with a potato based starter.”
You might also try adding some baking powder, which does not require additional acid to provide leavening.
Thanks.