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–+ servings

Browned Butter Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hands down my favorite cookie! The browned butter combined with the sourdough discard takes the flavor to the next level! Oh, and the coarse salt on the top? It makes it! These are big, chewy, and delightful. I’m certain you will love them!
4.90 from 28 votes
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Course: Desserts
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Servings: 20 -24 cookies
Author: Amber

Ingredients

  • 1 cup salted butter 188 g, see note above for unsalted butter adaptation
  • 1 cup white cane sugar 216 g
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar 190 g
  • 3 egg yolks 55 g
  • 1 cup flat and runny sourdough discard 248 g
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda 6 g
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 4 g
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 5 g
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla 6 g
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 404 g
  • 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips about 340 g
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips for pressing into the top of the cookies
  • sprinkle of coarse flake salt for the tops of cookies

Instructions

  • Brown the butter. Do this by adding the butter to a saucepan over medium heat. letting it melt, then foam, then when the liquid becomes brown underneath the bubbles and brown flecks appear, it’s done! Remove from heat. 
  • Let the butter cool to room temp, at least 30 minutes or longer.
  • Prepare one cup of sourdough discard. (Notes above on how to make discard).
  • Combine the browned butter and both sugars. Beat together with an electric hand mixer or with a stand mixer. The mixture will look a bit dry and crumbly, like semi- wet sand. 
  • Add the egg yolks to the mixture and beat with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes. As you continue beating, the mixture will become lighter and fluffier.
  • Add the sourdough discard and beat together until just barely combined. The dough will look more like cake batter than cookie dough. don’t fret.
  • Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder and vanilla. Mix until combined.
  • Add the flour and mix together by hand until just barely combined, being careful not to overmix.
  • Add the chocolate chips and mix together by hand.
  • Test the dough. *see note above* This is an optional step, but helps you to prevent cookies from coming out flat. Bake one, 1/4 cup sized ball of dough at 350 for 12-13 minutes. Depending on you elevation and the weather outside, the cookie dough texture can vary a bit. Testing one dough ball allows you to see if the cookie comes out well. If it is too flat, then the dough needs about 1/4 cup more flour. If it is just right, then leave it be and continue on to the next step.  
  • Cover the bowl of dough with plastic or a lid, and refrigerate. OR, roll into balls and transfer to an air tight container and refrigerate. Let the dough stay in the refrigerator to ferment for anywhere from one hour to seventy-two hours. I usually aim for about 4 hours. The longer it sits in the fridge, the more fermentation will happen and the more sour the cookies will taste. 
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper
     
  • Remove the dough from the fridge and scoop in to smooth 1/4 cup balls if you haven’t already. Place six dough balls on each baking sheet. Top the dough balls with a few more chocolate chips.
  • Bake the dough balls for 13-14 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown. 
  • Remove from oven, and place {even more} chocolate chips on the top of each cookie…. just to make it look pretty. Then sprinkle the cookies with some coarse sea salt flakes (Honestly… don’t skip this! It’s so good!) 
  • Let cookies cool on a cooling rack. Serve immediately, and freeze any leftovers! 

    ENJOY! 

Notes

Note 1- Since writing this recipe I have a new favorite chocolate chip, it’s the Guittard semi sweet super cookie chip- it makes puddles of melted chocolate and it’s the best!
Note 2- the dough feels more wet than regular cookie dough but still holds its shape when formed.
Note 3- the hydration of a starter will make a massive difference in wether these cookies go flat or go puffy. If your starter is more on the thick, dry side, consider using a couple tablespoons less flour than what is called for and test one cookie first then adjust flour as needed. If you starter is more on the very wet and runny side, this recipe as written might yield flatter cookies. I still recommend testing one cookie first and then adding a tablespoon or two or three of flour to achieve desired cookie texture. (Less flour- flat cookie texture. Perfect amount of flour- chewy texture. Too much flour, cakey texture)