Brown the butter

Start by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it’s fully melted, turn the heat up to medium and stir continuously. You’ll hear it bubbling and popping — that’s normal. Keep a close eye on it. As the sound fades and the butter turns a rich golden color with brown bits forming at the bottom, take it off the heat right away. Pour it into a large, heatproof bowl and let it cool down until it’s no longer warm to the touch.

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter

Mix in sugars, yolks & vanilla

Once the browned butter has cooled, add in both sugars, the egg yolks, and vanilla extract. Stir everything together until smooth and fully combined.

1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar

⅔ cup (133 g) granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks

1½ tsp vanilla extract

Add sourdough discard

Mix in the sourdough discard until it’s fully blended into the dough.

⅔ cup (140 g) sourdough discard

Combine the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2¾ cups (340 g) all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

Bring it all together

Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet, stirring until everything comes together into a soft, thick dough.

Fold in chocolate

Gently fold in the chocolate chunks or chips using a spatula until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

1½ cups (255 g) chocolate chips or 6 oz chopped dark/semi-sweet chocolate

Chill the dough

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. If you can, let it rest overnight — it really brings out the flavor.

Time to bake

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop the dough into balls (about 1½ tablespoons each). For smooth, round cookies, roll them between your hands. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each one.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. The centers should look a little soft — that’s what makes them perfect.

Add finishing salt