Dense, intensely chocolatey, with a shiny crinkled top and a centre that stays fudgy long after they come out of the oven. This is the brownie recipe you will make forever. Cakey brownies are a different thing entirely — these are not those.
A note from us
The extra egg yolk is the secret to the fudgy texture — it adds richness and fat without adding more white which would make them cakey. The combination of caster and brown sugar is also deliberate — brown sugar adds moisture and a subtle molasses depth that caster sugar alone does not give. Do not be tempted to bake longer — underbaked is always better than overbaked with brownies.
What you need 🛒
How to make it 👨🍳
Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 20x20cm baking tin with parchment paper leaving some overhang to lift the brownies out later.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water — do not let the bowl touch the water. Stir until smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
Add both sugars to the melted chocolate mixture and whisk until fully combined.
Add the eggs, extra yolk and vanilla extract one at a time, whisking well after each addition. The mixture should become thick, glossy and slightly lighter in colour. This step creates the signature shiny crinkled top — do not rush it.
Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — stop as soon as you can no longer see flour. Overworking develops gluten and makes cakey brownies.
Pour into the prepared tin and spread to the edges. Scatter a pinch of flaky sea salt over the top.
Bake for 22-25 minutes. The edges should be set and the centre should still have a slight wobble — it will firm up as it cools. A skewer in the centre should come out with moist crumbs not wet batter.
Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting — at least 1 hour. Cutting warm brownies gives you a mess not clean squares. For the cleanest cuts refrigerate for 30 minutes then slice with a hot knife wiped clean between cuts.
