Brownies Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9x9-inch (or 8x8 for thicker brownies) baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 1–2 inch overhang for easy lifting. Lightly butter the parchment or spray with nonstick spray.

Place the chopped bittersweet chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over (not touching) a pan of barely simmering water (double boiler) and stir occasionally until melted and smooth, about 5–7 minutes. Alternatively, microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between bursts, until fully melted and glossy. Remove from heat and let cool for 3–5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until fully incorporated and the mixture is slightly thickened. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Slowly pour the warm chocolate-butter mixture into the egg-sugar mixture in a steady stream while whisking constantly to temper the eggs and create a smooth, shiny batter.

Sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, fine sea salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl to remove lumps. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet chocolate mixture in two additions, folding gently just until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix — a few small streaks are better than overworked batter.

Fold in the chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips if using, reserving a tablespoon of chips or nuts to sprinkle on top. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula or back of a spoon. Smooth the top and sprinkle the reserved chips/nuts and flaky sea salt over the surface.

Bake in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 22–28 minutes for a 9x9 pan (18–24 minutes for an 8x8 pan). The brownies are done when the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter). Avoid overbaking to keep them fudgy.

Remove pan from oven and set on a wire rack. Let cool completely in the pan (about 1.5–2 hours) for clean slices. Use the parchment overhang to lift brownies from the pan, transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 9 or 12 squares depending on desired size. Serve at room temperature; warm slightly before serving if desired. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 7 days.