Sourdough Peanut Butter Brownies

A rich, fudgey chocolate sourdough brownie with a triple hit of peanut flavor layered in! If you're a peanut butter lover, then you must add these to your bake list!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Sourdough Discard

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 314kcal

Equipment

Mixing Bowl
Square Brownie Pan 9" x 9"

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

150 g All Purpose Flour
380 g White Sugar
50 g Cocoa Powder
3 g Salt
3 g Baking Powder
100 g Chocolate Chips (I've used semi sweet)
100 g Peanut Butter Chips (I've used Reeses)

Wet Ingredients

120 g Butter (melted)
130 g Peanut Butter (natural, crunchy or smooth)
2 Eggs (large eggs are best, if using small eggs add 3)
5 g Vanilla Extract
120 g Sourdough Starter (can be unfed or active and bubbly)

Topping

120 g Peanut Butter (natural, crunchy or smooth)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Grab a 9" x 9" brownie pan - it's up to you whether you grease the pan with butter or line it with parchment paper.
In a bowl, add the all purpose flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, salt and baking powder. Whisk the dry ingredients together until well combined, ensuring the chocolate and peanut butter chips are well distributed. Set this bowl aside for now.
In a separate bowl, add the peanut butter and melted butter together and stir until well combined (see notes for how I do this easily).
Into the same bowl, add the 2 eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until thick and creamy.
Then add the sourdough starter and whisk again until well combined.
Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the dry ingredients and use a spatula to bring them together into a thick brownie batter. You only need to moisten the dry ingredients, don't be tempted to over mix the batter.
Place the sourdough brownie mixture into your prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it to the edges. Dollop peanut butter on top of the brownie mixture and use a skewer to toothpick to swirl it into the brownie batter.
Place the pan into the oven and bake for 35 minutes at 160C/320F.
Check the sourdough peanut butter brownies at 35 minutes by inserting a tooth pick - you want it to come out wet still but they should be crackly and baked on top.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for around 30 minutes. Then remove from the pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing into squares.

Notes

Type of Peanut Butter - I've used natural peanut butter - so no additives, it's just peanuts with a little salt added. I've used crunchy peanut butter in all the photos of this recipe, but I've tested it with smooth and it works fine (I just prefer crunchy for the texture). You can use peanut butter with additives (so a more processed peanut butter). It works fine, but will have a higher level of salt and sugar in the final result.

Mixing the Peanut Butter & Butter - I add the butter and peanut butter together in a batter jug (making sure it's large enough to add the other wet ingredients on top afterwards) and microwave for 1 minute. I then stir them together as they are both melted and easily come together.

Sourdough Starter or Sourdough Discard - you can use either active starter or sourdough discard in this recipe, either works just fine. You don't want your sourdough starter to be too thick though or it won't combine well with the other ingredients and can leave streaks of baked starter through the brownies.

These sourdough brownies are best eaten the day after baking. For best results, make them the day before you need them and allow them to sit in the pan overnight before slicing into squares.

Nutrition