Fudgy Brownies — Salted Not Cakey
Unleash intense chocolate flavor with these salted, fudgy brownies. Blooming the cocoa in butter is the secret to their irresistible depth.
15 min active, minimal dishes
Fudgy Brownies — Salted Not Cakey
Unleash intense chocolate flavor with these salted, fudgy brownies. Blooming the cocoa in butter is the secret to their irresistible depth.
15 min active, minimal dishes
Key move
Bloom the cocoa powder in melted butter to unlock a deeper, richer chocolate flavor.
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The Setup
- Baking Pan8x8 inch
- SaucepanMedium
- Whisk
The Mise en Place
5 of 10Your prep station before cooking begins
The Dry Mix (0/5)
Brownies are cakey.
Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing develops gluten, which leads to a cakey texture.
Brownies are dry.
Do not overbake. Check for doneness with a toothpick, and remove from oven when it comes out with moist crumbs.
Chef's Notes
For fudgy brownies, avoid overmixing the batter once flour is added. Mix just until combined to prevent gluten development.
To achieve a salted caramel effect, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of the batter just before baking. This creates pockets of salty-sweet goodness.
Serve warm brownies with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a classic pairing.
Brownies can be baked a day in advance. Store them tightly wrapped at room temperature to maintain fudgy texture.
The Method
PREHEAT
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line an 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.
Uneven baking: If the parchment overhang is too tall, it may burn or shield the edges from heat.
Oven is preheated and pan is prepared.
MELT
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth.
Scorched cocoa: Do not let the butter boil; high heat will burn the cocoa powder, resulting in a bitter, gritty base.
Butter is melted and cocoa powder is fully incorporated, creating a smooth mixture.
WHISK
Whisk in granulated sugar (1 cup) and brown sugar (½ cups) until well combined.
Grainy texture: If the butter was too cool, the sugar will not dissolve, leading to a gritty brownie crust.
Sugars are fully dissolved and incorporated into the butter-cocoa mixture.
BEAT
Beat in eggs (2 large) one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract (1 tsp).
Broken emulsion: If the mixture looks curdled or oily, the eggs may be too cold; keep beating until the texture pulls back together.
Eggs are fully incorporated, and the mixture is smooth and emulsified.
STIR
Stir in flour and salt (½ tsp) until just combined. Do not overmix.
Overmixing: Mixing too vigorously will develop gluten, turning your fudgy brownies into cakey ones.
Flour and salt are just incorporated; no dry streaks remain.
FOLD
Fold in chopped bittersweet chocolate (½ cups).
Overmixing: Stop as soon as chocolate is incorporated; excessive folding will toughen the brownie texture.
Chocolate pieces are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
POUR
Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.
Air pockets: Tap the pan firmly on the counter once after spreading to release trapped air bubbles.
Batter is spread evenly in the pan.
SPRINKLE
Sprinkle with flaky sea salt (¼ tsp)salt (½ tsp).
Uneven distribution: Avoid clumping by shaking your hand side-to-side while sprinkling to ensure an even coating.
Flaky sea salt is evenly distributed over the batter.
BAKE
Time-sensitiveBake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
Overbaking: If the toothpick comes out completely clean, the brownies will be dry rather than fudgy.
A toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.
COOL
Let cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.
Structural collapse: Cutting while warm will cause the fudgy center to tear and lose its signature dense texture.
Brownies are completely cooled in the pan.
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