Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chewy cookies with a tangy sourdough flavor, loaded with dark and milk chocolate and finished with flaky salt.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 113g
- 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar 140g
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1/2 cup sourdough starter fed or discard, 115g
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 75g
- 3/4 cup bread flour 90g
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chopped, divided, 215g
- 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chopped, divided, 215g
- Flaky sea salt for garnish, optional
Instructions
- First, brown the butter. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling the pan often, until the milk solids turn golden brown and it smells nutty, about 5-7 minutes. Pour into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator until solid but scoopable, about 1 hour.
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the chilled brown butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture looks like wet sand, about 3 minutes.
- Add the sourdough starter, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix on low speed until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until just a few streaks of flour remain.
- Reserve 1/4 cup each of the chopped dark and milk chocolate for topping. Add the remaining chocolate to the dough and fold it in with a spatula until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cold dough into balls about 2 tablespoons each (around 55g). Roll each ball between your hands to smooth it, then press the top into the reserved chopped chocolate.
- Arrange the dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches between them. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centers are still soft.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
You can use either active (fed) sourdough starter or unfed discard for this recipe. Discard will give a more pronounced tangy flavor.
The overnight chill is essential. It allows the flour to hydrate and the flavors to deepen, resulting in a better texture and taste.
For smaller cookies, use a 1-tablespoon scoop and bake for 13 to 15 minutes.
Chopped chocolate bars create lovely melted pools in the cookies. You can substitute chocolate chips if that's what you have.