Brownie Plain Recipe

Prepare pan and oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch (20x20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 1–2 inch overhang on two opposite sides for easy lifting; lightly butter the parchment or spray with nonstick spray.

Melt chocolate and butter

Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water (double boiler), making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir occasionally until fully melted and smooth. Alternatively, microwave in 20–30 second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted. Remove from heat and let cool for 3–5 minutes.

Combine sugar and eggs

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the granulated sugar and whole eggs together until blended and slightly thickened (about 30–60 seconds by hand or 1 minute with a handheld mixer).

Add chocolate and vanilla

Pour the slightly cooled chocolate-butter mixture into the egg-sugar mixture and whisk until smooth and glossy. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Sift and fold dry ingredients

Sift the all-purpose flour and unsweetened cocoa powder together over the chocolate mixture to avoid lumps. Add the fine sea salt. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.

Transfer and bake

Scrape the batter into the prepared 8x8-inch pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Tap the pan once on the counter to remove large air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).

Cool and serve

Remove the brownies from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely (about 1–1.5 hours) for clean slices. Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownies out of the pan, transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 9 equal squares. Serve plain or with a dusting of powdered sugar or a scoop of ice cream if desired.