Best Chocolate Brownie

Sour cream is the unsung hero of these brownies. Most brownie recipes lean on butter and chocolate alone, but the splash of sour cream right before the chunks go in adds moisture and a faint tang that keeps the bittersweet chocolate from feeling overpoweringly rich. The result is fudgy without being cloying, and they stay tender for days if they last that long.

The double-fold of chocolate is what pushes these into bakery territory. Five ounces melts into the batter for that deep mahogany base, and another four ounces gets chopped and folded in at the end. Those chunks soften but never fully melt, leaving pockets of pure chocolate in every bite.

A shockingly small amount of flour (just a quarter cup with cocoa) means there’s barely any structure beyond the eggs and chocolate themselves. That’s the secret to fudgy. More flour gives you cakey brownies. Less gives you a slick, dense slab that pulls cleanly from the pan.

Watch the bake time. Forty minutes is the upper limit. A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs but no wet batter, and the top should be set with a thin crackled finish.

Chef Tips

• Use a quality bittersweet chocolate, 60 to 70% cacao. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that change the texture.
• Line the pan with parchment paper for easy lift-out. The brownies are too tender to dig out of a metal pan.
• Cool fully before slicing for clean edges. Use a serrated knife and wipe between cuts.
• Underbake by 2 minutes for an extra-gooey center that sets up as the pan cools.

Variations

• Stir in a teaspoon of espresso powder with the dry ingredients to deepen the chocolate flavor.
• Top with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt before baking for a sweet-savory finish.
• Add ½ cup of chopped toasted walnuts or pecans with the chocolate chunks.