Baking · American
Fudgy Brownies
Dense, deeply chocolatey squares with a shiny, crackly top and a moist middle.
- Hands-on
- 12 min
- Hands-off
- 3 h 32 min
- Oven preheat
- 15 min
- Total
- 3 h 44 min
- Makes
- 24 brownies (5 cm / 2 in squares)
- Serves
- 24
Turn the oven on first; it heats while you mix (preheat overlaps prep). Total = 12 min hands-on + 212 min hands-off: up to 32 min baking and about 3 hours cooling in the pan so the fudgy centre sets enough to cut cleanly. The mixing and baking alone take about 45 minutes.
Oven 180 °C · 160 °C fan (350 °F)
Pan 23 x 33 cm baking pan, greased (and lined with parchment if you want to lift it out) (US: 9 x 13 in baking pan, greased (and lined with parchment if you want to lift it out))
- easy
- vegetarian
- chocolate
- bake-sale
- crowd
- classic
Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means
Scaling? Made for a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) pan. Any other pan size changes the depth of the batter and so the bake time: go by the moist-crumb test, not the clock. Glass or ceramic pans bake slower than metal. Some items (like eggs) don’t halve neatly: beat them, then measure out half.
Ingredients
You need: 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking pan, preferably metal · parchment paper (optional, for lifting out) · stand mixer or large bowl and hand mixer · saucepan or large microwave-safe bowl · instant-read thermometer (optional but helpful) · spatula or dough whisk · toothpick or thin knife · wire rack
Contains: egg · milk · wheat
Method
Heat the oven, prep the pan
Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Grease the 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) pan; if you want to lift the slab out whole, line it with parchment too.
Beat eggs and cocoa
Beat the 4 eggs, 106 g (1 1/4 cups) cocoa, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp espresso powder if using, and 1 tbsp vanilla on medium speed for about 1 minute. It will be very thick.
Warm the butter and sugar
Melt the 227 g (16 tbsp) butter in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Stir in the 447 g (2 1/4 cups) sugar and warm it just until it reaches 43-49°C (110-120°F).
Ready when: Hot to the touch but not bubbling; the sugar is partly dissolved and the mix turns shiny as you stir. This is what gives the crackly top.
Otto tried this firstOtto lets the butter and sugar boil 'to be sure'. Boiling sugar can burn badly, and too-hot syrup can start cooking the eggs. Stop at warm and shiny.Combine
Pour the hot butter-sugar into the egg-cocoa mixture and stir until smooth. Add the 180 g (1 1/2 cups) flour and 340 g (2 cups) chocolate chips and stir until no flour streaks remain, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Spread and bake
Spread the batter evenly in the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes.
Ready when: Edges look set and the centre looks moist but not raw. A toothpick in the centre comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. With a thermometer, the centre reads about 96°C (205°F). The middle may sink into a small dip.
Cool, then cut
Cool in the pan on a wire rack until completely cool, about 3 hours. Cut into 24 squares, about 5 cm (2 in) each, cutting around the dip in the middle.
Swaps
Don’t swap
- natural cocoa for Dutch-process: it can make the brownies a bit acidic and denser
Make ahead, store & reheat
- Storage
- Wrap well and keep at room temperature for 5 to 6 days. Freeze for longer storage.
If something goes wrong
- No shiny, crackly top Why: The butter and sugar weren't warm enough when they went into the eggs.
Warm the butter-sugar mix to 43-49°C (110-120°F), until it turns glossy, before adding it. - Dry, cakey brownies Why: Baked until the toothpick came out clean, or too much flour (scooped from the bag).
Take them out when the toothpick shows moist crumbs, and spoon-and-level or weigh the flour.
Good to know
- A metal pan bakes most evenly; glass or ceramic needs the longer end of the bake time.
- Line the pan with parchment and leave some overhang to lift the whole slab out for neat squares.
Safety
- Don't taste the raw batter: it has raw egg and raw flour. Wash hands, bowls and counters with warm soapy water afterwards.
- The melted butter and sugar are hot enough to burn. Warm it gently, don't let it boil, and keep kids to stirring the dry ingredients.
- Chocolate chips can contain soy and other allergens; check the label.