Crazy Good Sourdough Vegan Fudgy Brownies
Servings: 9 servings
Calories:
Indulge your taste buds with my Crazy Good Sourdough Vegan Fudgy Brownies! Elevating the classic brownie experience to new heights, these decadent treats are a perfect fusion of rich, fudgy goodness and the unique tanginess of sourdough.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- 2 Medium Bowls and wooden spoon
- Baking dish Square 8x8 or 9x9
Ingredients
- ½ cup aquafaba chickpea/black bean/kidney bean water (see notes) 120 g
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup dates soaked in 1/2 hot water and pureed 5 oz.
- ½ cup applesauce
- 5.3 ounces dark chocolate broken into small chunks (60-70% cocoa content) 150 g
- 1 cup sourdough discard 200 g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp agave or maple syrup
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 50 g
- 1 cup almond flour 100 g
- ¼ cup oat flour
- 3 tbsp cornstarch 30 g
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine table salt
- flaky salt for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Place the aquafaba and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl, if using a handheld electric whisk). Whisk on high speed until it becomes a thick pale foam, like whipped egg whites.
- Melt the chocolate. Stir in the sourdough discard, agave or maple syrup, and vanilla extract. It may look kind of split/grainy but this is fine.
- Stift all dry ingredients together.
- Fold dry in ingredients into wet 1/2 at a time. You don't have to be gentle here as this step is to help loosen the texture of the chocolatey mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) fan or 400°F (200°C) non-fan. Line a 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23cm) square brownie pan with baking paper.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes - the top should look dry, matte and the brownies shouldn't wobble when you shake the pan. If you insert a toothpick into the centre, it should come out with some thick, gooey batter (NOT loose, drippy batter!) attached to it.
- Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edges whilst they're hot to loosen any bits which may be stuck. Leave to cool for 20-30 minutes before removing from the tray and cutting into squares. They will sink in the centre as they cool so may crack a bit as this happens. You can sprinkle them with some flaky salt as well now.
Notes
- Aquafaba: This is the liquid from a can of cooked beans. I tested these brownies with the liquid from can of chickpeas and black beans. Both worked fine. I like to make sure I shake the can a lot before I open it & drain off the aquafaba which helps to dislodge the sediment from the bottom of the can (which is believed to help the aquafaba to whip up more reliably). If your aquafaba isn't whisking up properly, try reducing it over a low heat until halved in volume before measuring and using in the recipe. Also, note that aquafaba definitely takes longer to whisk into a stiff foam than egg whites do, so give it some time!!! A stand mixer is the best option here as the extra power makes it whip up in no time whereas my experience using hand-held whisks is that it takes longer to reach the right consistency.
- Cream of tartar: I add this to help stabilize the aquafaba foam which, in the end, leads to slightly less sunken brownies. However, I've tested it multiple times without COT and they're just as good, probably just a bit fudgier in the end.
- Vegan dark chocolate: Guittard 70% chocolate works well. Otherwise, check the packet of your chocolate to ensure it's vegan - most dark chocolates with around 70% cocoa content already are dairy-free.
- Sourdough discard: This isn't leavening the brownies so it does not need to be active. I save my discard in the fridge in a lidded container for a week or two and then use it for baking. 100% hydration means that your sourdough is fed with equal weights of water and flour. My sourdough starter is 50:50 rye and white wheat flour but an all-white starter, or a 50:50 white/wholemeal wheat flour starter will also work.
- Almond Flour: Other good substitutes are ground hazelnuts or ground cashews. If you can't do nuts, try ground sunflower seeds. You can make your own by pulsing nuts/seeds in a food processor or blender until mealy.
- Cornstarch: These do work without the corn flour in them but they will be a bit softer and more fragile. The cornstarch just helps bind things together a bit better but if you don't have any, they will still work out.
- Cream Cheese Swirl: Mix: Make 1 chia egg by combining 1 T ground chia seed with 2 T aquafaba. Add to 1-1/2 cups vegan cream cheese and 2 T agave. Spoon 1-2 T in each cupcake and swirl.
- Method notes:
No sieve: instead, combine the cocoa powder, ground almonds, cornflour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Stir together with a whisk or a fork to remove any lumps.
