No Mixer Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
These no mixer sourdough chocolate chip cookies are adapted from my great aunt’s family recipe. Long fermented for 2 to 24 hours, they have crispy edges, soft chewy centers, and incredible depth of flavor. The melted butter method creates a dense, bakery style texture that stays soft for days.
Servings: 14 Cookies
Calories: 245kcal
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- spatula
- plastic wrap
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- Kitchen scale (recommended)
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Fats and Sugars
- 113 g unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly (1/2 cup or 1 stick)
- 100 g dark brown sugar 1/2 cup, packed
- 60 g granulated sugar scant 1/3 cup
- 10 g honey 2 teaspoons or light corn syrup
Wet Ingredients
- 1 large egg room temperature (50g)
- 75 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration, fed 4 to 6 hours prior OR 75g sourdough discard (fed within 1 to 2 days)
- 6 g vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons
Dry Ingredients
- 220 g bread flour 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons
- 1.5 g instant coffee finely ground dark roast, optional (1/2 teaspoon)
- 4 g fine sea salt 3/4 teaspoon
- 2 g baking soda 1/2 teaspoon
Mix Ins
- 170 g dark chocolate chunks chopped from bars (1 cup)
Instructions
Day 1: Mixing and Fermentation
- Melt butter in microwave for 30 to 45 seconds or on stovetop. Let cool for 5 minutes until warm, not hot (around 100 degrees F).
- Whisk together melted butter, both sugars, and honey for about 2 minute by hand (or 30 to 45 seconds with electric mixer on medium speed) until smooth and glossy. The mixture should look uniform with no streaks of butter. Some graininess from the sugar is fine, it will dissolve during the rest period.
- Add egg and whisk until fully incorporated and glossy.
- Add starter and vanilla, whisk until just combined.
- Add dry ingredients (bread flour, instant coffee (if using), salt, and baking soda) and fold with spatula until 80% combined. Streaks of flour are okay.
- Fold in chocolate chunks. Do not overmix.
- Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour, scoop dough into 50g portions (about 2 1/2 tablespoons each) onto a parchment lined sheet pan or plate.
- Return portioned dough to refrigerator to finish fermenting for the remaining 1 to 23 hours. Total fermentation time: 2 to 24 hours.
Portioning and Baking
- Remove portioned dough from refrigerator.
- Press each portion down gently with your palm to between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch thick (right between the two lines on a ruler). Smooth edges with your fingers to round them.
- Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. This step is key for getting perfect spread and even texture.
Baking
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F ( 177 C).
- Space dough 3 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake 10 to 14 minutes. For medium rare cookies with gooey centers, bake 10 to 11 minutes. For balanced texture (recommended), bake 12 minutes. For crispier edges, bake 13 to 14 minutes. Edges should be d golden brown, centers should look slightly matte and puffy.
- Cool on pan 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
Notes
Choosing Your Cookie Size: This recipe uses 50g cookies (makes 14) for the perfect balance of crispy edges and soft centers. For smaller, crispier cookies, portion at 30g (makes 22, bake 10 to 12 minutes). For larger, bakery style cookies, portion at 70g (makes 10, bake 14 to 16 minutes).
Easier Workflow: The recommended method is to chill dough for 1 hour, scoop into portions, then return to fridge to finish fermenting. This is much easier than scooping cold, firm dough. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough for the full 2 to 24 hours and scoop later, but it will be harder to work with.
Flattening: Flatten dough to between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch thick before baking. This ensures even baking and prevents a domed center. Use a ruler as a guide if needed.
Flour Substitution: All purpose flour absorbs liquid differently than bread flour. You may need to add 10 to 15g more all purpose flour (230 to 235g total instead of 220g) to get the right dough consistency. Start with 220g and check the dough after chilling. If it's too sticky to handle easily, add another tablespoon (7 to 8g) of flour and chill for another 30 minutes. The cookies will be slightly more tender and less chewy than the bread flour version, but they'll still be delicious.
Sourdough Starter: Active starter gives slightly more rise and structure. Discard works beautifully and is a great way to use what you would otherwise throw away. Both work perfectly in this recipe.
Instant Coffee: This does not make the cookies taste like coffee. It enhances the chocolate flavor, making it richer and deeper. If you prefer to omit it, you can, but it is highly recommended over espresso powder.
Storage: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days. The honey keeps them soft and chewy. Unbaked dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen dough in fridge overnight and let rest 15 minutes at room temp before baking. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 2 months.
Mini Chips and M&Ms Variation: If using mini chocolate chips and/or M&Ms instead of chopped chocolate chunks, use 200g (1 1/4 cups) total. You can split it as 100g (2/3 cup) mini chips plus 100g (2/3 cup) M&Ms, or use 200g of just one. Mini chips and M&Ms are smaller and more uniform than chopped chocolate, so you need slightly more by weight to get the same chocolatey experience in every bite.
Baker Schedule: Day 1 (anytime): Mix dough, chill 1 hour, scoop, refrigerate (15 minutes active time). Day 1 or Day 2 (8 to 24 hours later): Rest 15 minutes, bake (20 minutes active time). This recipe is flexible and works with your schedule.
