Aran Goyoaga's The Art of Gluten-Free Bread

Aran Goyoaga, three-time James Beard Award finalist, cookbook author, food stylist and photographer, was born in Spain's Basque country to a family of pastry chefs and farmers. She moved to the United States in her early 20s, training to become a professional pastry chef. This Fall we welcome Aran's latest book to the shop, The Art of Gluten-Free Bread, currently praised as the complete bible to gluten-free bread baking. In the book Goyoaga shares her secret to the perfect gluten-free loaf along with 100 recipes for breads and pastries including bagels, biscuits, and croissants. 

Below: enjoy Aran's sourdough brownies, plucked directly from her new book for Covet + Lou, by Aran herself. 

Fudgy Sourdough Brownies

This is a gooey and fudgy brownie with a thin crust. Not all sugars are equal when it comes to how shiny the brownie’s crust is. If you like a shiny, thin crust, use superfine sugar rather than plain old granulated. If you are not worried about shine and you prefer to focus on flavor, you could use half granulated sugar and half dark brown sugar or even coconut sugar.

SERVES 8

3 large eggs, at room temperature

200 grams granulated sugar

2 teaspoons (8 g) vanilla extract

180 grams chocolate (70% cacao), coarsely chopped

110 grams unsalted butter or vegan butter or extra-virgin olive oil

50 grams unsweetened cocoa powder

150 grams discard from Whole-Grain Brown Rice–Teff Sourdough Starter (page 000)

1 teaspoon (4 g) kosher salt

Flaky sea salt (optional), for topping

Preheat the oven. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9-inch (23 cm) square cake pan with parchment paper.

Whip the eggs. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed for 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and pale in color.

Melt the chocolate. Meanwhile, place the chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan with simmering water. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.

Make the batter. Add the chocolate mixture, sourdough discard, and salt to the egg mixture and whip on high speed until you have a smooth batter, about 30 seconds.

Bake the brownies. Pour the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the sea salt, if using. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top cracks.

Cool the brownies. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out of the pan and cut into squares. If you want them especially fudgy, refrigerate them overnight and serve the next day. The brownies will keep for 5 days tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.

Excerpted from The Art of Gluten-Free Bread by Aran Goyoaga (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2025. Photographs by Aran Goyoaga.