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sourdough chocolate chip cookie broken open showing molten dark chocolate center and flaked sea salt finish
Luna Hossain

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies (Brown Butter, Dark Chocolate Chunks)

Brown butter sourdough chocolate chip cookies with dark chocolate chunks and flaked sea salt. Dense, fudgy centers with crisp edges — no mixer required, made with unfed sourdough discard.
Calorie ~375 kcal | Fat: ~20g | Carbs: ~46g | Sugar: ~28g | Protein: ~4g | Sodium: ~185mg
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 36 minutes
Servings: 14 cookies
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Calories: 375
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • For the Brown Butter
  • 1 cup 227g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • For the Cookie Dough
  • ¾ cup 165g packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup 100g plain white granulated cane sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk room temperature
  • ½ cup 120g sourdough discard, 100% hydration, unfed, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons 10ml pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups 240g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ¾ teaspoon 4g baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon 6g fine sea salt
  • 1½ cups 255g dark chocolate, 60–70% cacao, roughly chopped into uneven chunks
  • For the Finish
  • 1 teaspoon 3g flaked sea salt (Maldon or Fleur de Sel)

Equipment

  • Required:
  • Light-colored saucepan
  • Large heatproof mixing bowl
  • Medium mixing bowl
  • Silicone spatula
  • Kitchen scale
  • Measuring spoons
  • Chef's knife and cutting board
  • Plastic wrap or beeswax wrap
  • 2 light-colored aluminum baking sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • Cookie scoop or large spoon
  • Wire cooling rack
  • Optional but recommended:
  • Oven thermometer
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Ice bath setup — large bowl + ice + water
  • Bench scraper

Method
 

  1. In a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, stirring constantly once melted. Continue cooking and stirring until the milk solids at the bottom turn deep amber and the butter smells nutty — approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately pour into a large heatproof mixing bowl, scraping every drop from the pan. Cool to room temperature, approximately 25 to 30 minutes, until the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch.
  2. Add ¾ cup (165g) packed dark brown sugar and ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar to the cooled brown butter. Stir with a silicone spatula in firm circular strokes for 30 to 40 strokes until no dry sugar remains and the mixture looks uniform and slightly grainy.
  3. Add 2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk one at a time, stirring vigorously for 60 seconds after each addition. Add 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract and stir for 30 seconds. Continue stirring for a full 2 minutes until the mixture looks glossy, smooth, and slightly thickened.
  4. Add ½ cup (120g) sourdough discard and stir gently for 20 to 25 strokes until fully incorporated with no white streaks remaining.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon (4g) baking soda, and 1 teaspoon (6g) fine sea salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients all at once and fold with a silicone spatula using slow bottom-up strokes — 15 to 18 folds only. Stop when no dry flour remains.
  6. Add 1½ cups (255g) dark chocolate chunks and fold in with 10 to 12 strokes until evenly distributed. Reserve a small handful of larger chunks for pressing onto the tops of the dough balls before baking.
  7. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the dough surface. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 48 hours. Overnight produces the best flavor.
  8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) for at least 15 minutes. Line two light-colored aluminum baking sheets with parchment paper.
  9. Scoop dough into balls of approximately 2 tablespoons (45g) each and place at least 2 inches (5cm) apart on the prepared baking sheet. Press 2 to 3 reserved chocolate chunks onto the top of each dough ball.
  10. Bake one pan at a time on the middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes — until the edges look set and lightly golden and the centers still look underdone and slightly puffy. Do not wait for the centers to look done.
  11. Remove from the oven. Immediately lift the pan 2 inches (5cm) and drop it flat on the counter twice to deflate any puffiness. Leave the cookies on the hot pan for exactly 5 minutes — do not move them. Immediately sprinkle flaked sea salt over the tops.
  12. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before eating. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

Notes

Sourdough discard must be unfed and at 100% hydration — active bubbly starter will over-leaven the dough and produce cakey cookies.
Brown butter must cool to room temperature before eggs are added — warm butter scrambles the eggs and breaks the emulsion.
Do not skip chilling — unchilled dough spreads flat and produces thin, greasy cookies.
Dark chocolate bar (60–70% cacao) chopped into uneven chunks — do not substitute pre-bagged chocolate chips.
Flaked sea salt (Maldon or Fleur de Sel) applied immediately after baking — fine salt dissolves and disappears.
Baking soda freshness test: ½ tsp into hot water with a splash of vinegar — must bubble vigorously within 5 seconds.
For high altitude above 3,500 feet (1,067m): reduce baking soda to ½ tsp and add 2 tablespoons (15g) extra flour.
Scaling note: leavening does not scale linearly — if doubling, increase baking soda by no more than 50% and test a small batch first.
Allergens: contains gluten, eggs, dairy, and soy (check chocolate label). Not suitable for nut-free facilities if using chocolate processed in facilities with tree nuts.
Storage: lidded hard-sided container at room temperature up to 4 days, parchment between layers. Freeze baked cookies individually wrapped up to 2 months. Freeze unbaked dough balls up to 3 months — bake from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 13 to 14 minutes.