I’m coming at ya with a little mid-week brownie inspiration. I make a lot of brownies, especially for special orders, but I realized recently that I only have one brownie recipe here on the site- what a travesty! So here’s a new one for you! I’ve been wanting to make both Izy Hossack’s Sourdough Brownies and Melissa Clark’s rendition of the Violet Bakery Rye Brownies for the last few months and decided to smoosh them both together and create these Sourdough Spelt Brownies. These are decidedly a grown-up brownie. The tang from the sourdough discard provides a sharp contrast to the deep, dark chocolate, and using a whole grain flour like spelt, really rounds out the flavor. These are nutty and complex, with fudgy centers and a crackly crust and they’re quickly climbing to the top of my “favorite brownies of all time” list.

In other news, I felt a slight breeze in the air this week which is a big deal for us Floridians. People all over the country have been eating soups and baking pumpkin loaves for a few weeks now, but I’m just now starting to consider trading in my iced coffee for something a little warmer. Fall is one thing I really miss about living outside of Florida. Both Nashville and Seattle gave us absolutely beautiful autumns, with orange-tinged trees and weather that just begged you to wear cute sweaters and as September wanes in October each year, I miss it tremendously. So I’m embracing our high of 83° and will make a lentil stew tonight and enjoy being able to spend a few minutes outside without sweat beading on my forehead. Happy first week of fall, y’all!

Sourdough Spelt Brownies

Yield: 1 9x13” pan

Ingredients

1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter

300 g chopped dark chocolate

80 g sourdough discard

1 1/4 cup (150 g) spelt flour

1/2 cup (50 g) cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar

3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Flaky salt, for finishing

Procedure 

1. Preheat your oven to 350° F and line a 9x13” baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside. 

2. Combine chocolate and butter in a large glass bowl and set it over a double boiler. Cook, stirring frequently, until completely melted and smooth. 

3. When the chocolate and butter are melted, remove the bowl from heat and whisk in brown sugar and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Let cool slightly. 

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together spelt flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. 

5. Separate two of the eggs, placing the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. 

6. Add the two egg yolks along with the two whole eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until completely combined. The mixture should begin to homogenize and take on a glossy sheen. Whisk in vanilla and sourdough discard. 

7. Use a rubber spatula to gradually fold in the dry ingredients, mixing just until no more flour clumps remain. 

8. In the stand mixer (or hand mixer) begin whipping the egg whites. When they start to become frothy, slowly stream in the remaining 1/4 cup of granulated sugar. When all of the sugar has been added, increase the mixer speed and whip until a smooth meringue with soft peaks forms.

9. Gently fold meringue into the chocolate mixture, only mixing until the white streaks are gone and the mixture is all one color. Pour batter into your prepared pan and sprinkle the surface with flaky salt. 

10. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and then let cool completely in the pan before slicing. 

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