Ingredients

   
225g unsalted butter
170g bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or 225g for fudgier)
36g unsweetened cocoa powder
200g confectioners’ sugar
100g light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
5g salt
120g all-purpose flour
  Flaky salt, for topping (optional)

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.

  2. Brown the butter: melt in a light-colored pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until amber with dark golden milk solids, about 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 3 minutes.

  3. Pour warm brown butter over chopped bittersweet chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth.

  4. Sift in cocoa powder. Whisk until evenly blended and glossy.

  5. Add both sugars and stir until fully dissolved and the mixture is glossy and smooth.

  6. Add eggs. Break yolks and mix gently until incorporated — do not whip.

  7. Add salt. Sift in flour and fold with a spatula until just combined.

  8. Pour into prepared pan, smooth the top, and drop pan on counter from 7cm to release air pockets.

  9. Bake 45–50 minutes until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Cool in pan at least 1 hour. Sprinkle with flaky salt if desired.

Analysis

Total batter weight: 1056g

Component Amount %
Structure solids (flour + cocoa + cocoa solids) 209g 19.8%
Fat (butter, chocolate, egg) 295g 27.9%
Sugar (confectioners’ + brown + chocolate) 285g 27.0%
Liquid (butter water, egg water) 240g 22.7%
Egg/protein 26g 2.5%

Solidly fudgy: fat at ~28% with structure under 20% is right in the fudgy-brownie zone (fudgy ≈ 20–30% fat, 10–15% structure — this runs a touch higher structure from the cocoa). Brown butter plus bittersweet chocolate plus cocoa stack the fat and depth; the low flour and undisturbed eggs (not whipped) keep it dense rather than cakey.

Notes

  • This is the chocolate version of the matcha brownie recipe — same technique, swap white chocolate for bittersweet and matcha for cocoa.
  • 170g bittersweet chocolate is the recommended amount (less than the matcha version’s 225g white chocolate, since dark chocolate is less sweet and fattier). Use 225g for a fudgier result.
  • Brown butter + bittersweet chocolate + cocoa = triple depth. The nuttiness of the brown butter amplifies the chocolate.
  • All the same technique notes apply: dissolve sugars for crackly top, don’t whip eggs, slightly underbake.
  • Flaky salt on top is highly recommended with the chocolate version.
  • Store room temp 1–2 days, refrigerated up to 5 days.