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Sourdough chocolate chip cookies might just be the best excuse to keep a jar of discard in your fridge at all times. These cookies bake up thick and chewy with crisp edges, gooey centers, and just the right hint of tang from the sourdough.
No flat, sad cookies here, brown butter and a long chill time help them hold their shape and pack in serious flavor. The combination of all-purpose and rye flour adds depth, while a sprinkle of flaky sea salt takes them over the top. If you’ve got discard hanging out in your fridge, this is the perfect excuse to put it to delicious use.
Here is Why This Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Works
Brown Butter: Browned butter adds rich, nutty notes and removes water from the butter….an important step since sourdough adds extra moisture. This keeps the cookies chewy instead of spreading into sad, thin puddles.
Sourdough Discard Adds Tang: That discard sitting in your fridge adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness and enhances the richness of these cookies.
No Flat, Sad Cookies Here: Thanks to a perfectly balanced flour combo and a long chill time, these bake up thick, chewy, and beautifully textured (not a pancake in sight).
Sweet, Salty, and Everything in Between: Pools of melty chocolate + a sprinkle of flaky sea salt = the kind of cookie that disappears way too fast.
The Ingredients
- Pantry: All-purpose flour, rye flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.
- Fridge: Butter, egg yolks
- Baking Essentials: Baking powder, baking soda, salt, Vanilla extract.
- Other: Sourdough discard, Fleur de sel
Recipe Variations
Salted Caramel Sourdough Cookies: Swap out half of the chocolate chips for caramel chunks and finish with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
Toasted Coconut Pecan Sourdough Cookies: Stir in ¾ cup of toasted coconut and chopped pecans along with dark chocolate into the cookie dough.
Espresso Chocolate Chunk Sourdough Cookies: Add 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder to the dry ingredients.
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients, including the sourdough discard.
- Watch the butter closely as it browns. Stir continuously and keep a close eye on it! The transition from rich, nutty perfection to burnt and bitter happens in seconds.
- Don’t skip the chill time. It helps the flour absorb moisture, deepens the flavor, and keeps the cookies from spreading too much.
- Measure the flour correctly. If you’re not using a scale, spoon and level the flour instead of scooping straight from the bag. Too much flour = dry cookies.
- Sprinkle the flaky salt while the cookies are warm so it sticks to the surface.
- Egg yolk sizes can vary even within the same batch of eggs. I added a weight measurement for accuracy, so you get the right balance of fat and moisture every time. This is especially helpful in a recipe like this, where the balance of fat and moisture is important.
- Let the cookies rest for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- Underbake the cookies slightly for the best texture. The centers should still look a little soft when you pull them from the oven. They’ll continue setting as they cool.
Storage
On the Counter: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days. If you like them extra soft, toss a slice of bread in the container—it helps maintain moisture.
Refrigerator: While not necessary, you can store them in the fridge for up to a week. Just let them come to room temp or warm them slightly before eating. You can also store the cookie dough in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing Baked Cookies: Store them in an airtight container with parchment between layers to prevent sticking. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Freezing Unbaked Cookie Dough: Scoop the dough into balls and place them on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid then transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for 3 months. If you bake them from frozen, add 1 to 2 extra minutes of baking time.
Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe for sourdough chocolate chip cookies delivers the perfect balance of chewy centers, crisp edges, and a rich, deep flavor. Thanks to brown butter, a bit of rye flour, and discard from sourdough starter, these cookies spread just enough, no dry, cakey texture here!
If your cookies tend to puff up too much, it’s often from too much flour or not enough fat. This recipe gets it just right. Plus, the dough freezes beautifully, so you’re always minutes away from freshly baked cookie perfection!
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Chocolate Chip Sourdough Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, 16 tablespoons; 226 grams
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar, 160 grams
- ½ cup granulated sugar, 100 grams
- ¾ cup sourdough discard, 170 grams
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large egg yolks, 30 to 36 grams
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, 240 grams
- ⅔ cup rye flour, 70 grams
- 1-½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1-¼ teaspoons salt
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Fleur de sel or other large flake sea salt, optional
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring frequently. As it heats, it will begin to foam. Keep stirring and watch closely as the color starts to change. The milk solids at the bottom will gradually turn from pale to golden, then deep amber.
- Once you see the browned milk solids, remove the pan from heat immediately to prevent burning. Transfer the butter to a mixing bowl and let it cool slightly before proceeding.
Mix the cookie dough
- Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the brown butter. Beat until well combined. Add the sourdough discard and vanilla extract, mixing until fully incorporated. Blend in the egg yolks until smooth.
- Place a metal sifter over the bowl and sift in the all-purpose flour, rye flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined, ensuring no dry streaks remain.
- Fold in the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.
Portion and Chill
- Using a #40 cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), scoop the dough into balls and place them close together on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 72 hours.
Bake the Cookies
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the chilled dough balls 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the tops with Fleur de sel (if using).
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Let the sourdough discard come to room temperature before using it to ensure even mixing.
- Watch the butter closely while it browns, stirring constantly. The color changes quickly, and once it reaches that rich, nutty stage, it can burn in seconds.
- Chilling the cookie dough allows the flour to hydrate, enhances the flavor with a longer ferment time, and prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
- For accurate flour measurement, use a scale. If measuring by volume, spoon the flour into the cup and level it off instead of scooping directly from the bag to avoid adding too much.
- Sprinkle flaky salt on the cookies while they’re still warm so it sticks properly and enhances the chocolate.
- Since egg yolk sizes vary, using a weight measurement ensures the right balance of fat and moisture, which is especially important since the discard adds extra liquid.
- Sourdough discard can vary in liquid content, especially as it ages; it tends to become thinner over time.
- For the best results, use discard that is no older than 48 hours. Older discard can be too runny, which may affect the dough’s consistency. If your discard is on the thinner side, an extra tablespoon of flour can help.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Moving them too soon can cause them to break.
- Pull the cookies from the oven when the centers still look slightly soft. They’ll continue to set as they cool, giving them that perfectly chewy texture.
- If you freeze the cookie dough in pre-portioned balls, you can bake them from frozen. Just add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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