What makes brownies properly fudgy?

[JavaChip]

I've got a tried and tested brownie recipe from nigella but they are never fudgy enough. They can be soft but not fudgy like in a coffee shop (good one.!)

Should I be using led flour?

Anyone got a proper fudgy recipe please ?

As other posters said, BBC best ever brownies is a perfect recipe. I would never try another recipe.

I always made my brownies with olive oil adding maybe a little more oil than called for.

Undercooking is how I do it. Like nearly all my baking efforts there is also a bit of magic and luck involved.

The cioccolatissimo brownies in the new Skye McAlpine book are amazing - properly fudgy and so good. She uses strong bread flour, no idea if that makes a difference or not.

I make mine with sunflower/vegetable oil instead of butter, always very fudgey

Experiment 1: Nigel slater

Batch into oven. Comment so far is that the mixture is richer and lighter than Nigellas version. Looks promising.

Do you mean mixed in and visible like choc chips or melted into mix ?

That's the way I'd usually do it.

Nigel called for butter and sugar together then add eggs bit by bit to running mixer. More like a cake mix.

Will see how if it makes a different

This one is on the list for experiment 2

This!

The Brownie recipe posted on MN by SuzyWong many many years ago is my go to. Truly awesome.

A 7 or 8 inch square tin lined with greaseproof paper/baking parchment and the oven set to 180/GM4 moderate oven.

A small saucepan in to which you put

150g butter

150g chocolate, at least half of it should be plain

On a low heat and let it melt together and leave it to cool slightly

Then beat together in a bowl

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

175g caster sugar

Until creamy looking, use a hand whisk or an electric one

Then sift in

100g plain flour

1 big tablespoon of drinking chocolate

And a quarter of a teaspoon of salt

Throw in 100g walnuts

And the chocolate and butter and mix well with a spatula, but don't beat it. It should be smooth and glossy.

Scrape the batter into the lined tin and bake it for 18 minutes.

Then have a look at it, the top should be pale and opaque with a couple of cracks starting to emerge like a dried up muddy puddle. The body of the mix will still be slightly wobbly with the edges looking like ordinary cake. If it isn’t like this then leave it in for another 3 minutes or until the first cracks in the puddle surface appear.

Then leave it in the tin to cool for 20 minutes.

I think the cooking is more important than the recipe. You need to learn what is just the right amount of time in the oven.

I love this thread and the passion for perfect brownies. ❤️

I accidentally forgot to pre heat the oven once and put them in cold. For some reason they came out better that time so I always do it now. I use the bbc recipe and cook for 25 minutes.

To make mine almost like a chocolate mousse in the middle I melt the butter first, before adding it to the whisked eggs annd flour and sugar. I melt it with the chocolate. Have to cook them for a quite a long time so you get like a slight crunch in the outside, then a gooey, melting middle. 200g each of butter, dark choc, and sugar, 4 eggs, and a tbsp of flour. Nom!

Pret brownie recipe is quite fudgy: m.facebook.com/nt/screen/?params=%7B%22note_id%22%3A693580884905822%7D&path=%2Fnotes%2Fnote%2F&_se_imp=1zxKDzj3MNhNZWRna

A combination of low flour, high sugar, and being undercooked. There is a BBC good food recipe, best ever brownies? By Orlando someone? It’s amazing.

www.goodto.com/recipes/jo-wheatley-s-triple-chocolate-brownies

Work every time for me 👍🏻

This picture helped me get it right, the middle one is fudgy

Taster whilst warm - very rich, light , soft but not runny.

Will report back when cold

Dark brown sugar makes the stickiest brownies I find.

Thank you for that picture. Eagerly awaiting results!

Undercook them.
substitute 1/2 the flour for ground almonds.
likewise half the sugar for golden syrup.

I really struggle to know when mine are undercooked! It doesn’t help that the dial in my electric oven is difficult to get accurate, the little temperature marks are not every 10° like most others I’ve seen, it only has three marks between 150° and 200° so I just have to guess!

I stick a metal skewer in to test and with a cake, I know it has to come out with no mix residue on it but with brownies, I find it hard to judge the amount of goo on.

I think I’ll try with wooden toothpicks and use the photo to help me.

I once made some fantastic ones with mincemeat in but have never managed to repeat them successfully! The batch I made last Christmas were so undercooked that the middle of the tin was still runny!

It's still a bit warm so fudge factor is TBC. However it's miles ahead of Nigellas! Sorry Nigella!