Levain Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer with paddle attachment
• •Kitchen scale
• •Half-sheet baking pans
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine dry ingredients

   Whisk together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. The combination of flours is essential. Cake flour provides tenderness. Bread flour builds structure to support these massive cookies without spreading flat. Set aside.

2. 2

   Cream butter and sugars

   In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold butter cubes with both sugars on medium speed. You're not looking for light and fluffy here. Beat just until the mixture comes together and the butter chunks have broken down, about 2 minutes. Some small butter pieces remaining is fine. Desirable, even. They'll create pockets of steam in the oven that give the cookies their craggy texture.

   Cold butter is non-negotiable. Room temperature butter creates flat, spread-out cookies. We want height and heft.
3. 3

   Add eggs and vanilla

   Add the cold eggs one at a time, beating on low speed just until each disappears into the batter. Add the vanilla with the second egg. Don't overbeat. The mixture will look slightly curdled and uneven. That's correct. We're building texture, not making cake batter.

4. 4

   Incorporate flour mixture

   Add the flour mixture all at once. Mix on the lowest speed until just combined, about 15 to 20 seconds. Stop the mixer while you can still see streaks of flour. Finish folding by hand with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon. Overmixing develops gluten and makes cookies tough. Your restraint here determines whether you get chewy or rubbery.

5. 5

   Fold in chocolate and nuts

   Add the chocolate chips, chopped bittersweet chocolate, and walnuts if using. Fold with your spatula until evenly distributed. The dough should look absolutely stuffed with chocolate. This is correct. The chocolate-to-dough ratio borders on absurd. That's why people line up for these cookies.

6. 6

   Portion the dough

   Using a kitchen scale, portion the dough into 6-ounce (170g) balls. You should get 8 cookies. Shape each portion into a rough ball, keeping the surface craggy and uneven rather than smooth. Those irregular peaks will become crispy edges in the oven. Place dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart. You'll bake in batches.

   A scale transforms your baking. Consistent portions mean consistent results. Every cookie identical.
7. 7

   Chill the dough

   Refrigerate the portioned dough balls for at least 30 minutes, or up to 72 hours. This step is mandatory, not a suggestion. Chilling solidifies the butter, which prevents spreading in the oven and allows the flour to hydrate fully. Longer chilling develops deeper butterscotch notes from the brown sugar. Two days in the refrigerator produces the best flavor.

8. 8

   Preheat and prepare

   Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 410°F. Yes, 410. Higher than you'd expect. The intense heat sets the exterior quickly while leaving the center deliberately underdone. Line your baking sheets with fresh parchment paper.

9. 9

   Bake the cookies

   Place 4 dough balls on each prepared sheet, giving them room to expand. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through. Here's where courage matters. The cookies should look underdone. The edges will be golden and set, but the centers will appear wet, almost raw. The tops will crack and look like they need five more minutes. They don't. Pull them at 11 minutes for gooey centers, 12 for slightly more set.

   Your oven may run hot or cold. The first batch teaches you. Adjust timing by 30-second increments for subsequent batches.
10. 10

    Cool on the pan

    Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a full 10 minutes. They'll continue cooking from residual heat and will firm up enough to transfer. Move them to a wire rack if you prefer crispier bottoms, or leave them on the parchment for softer bases. Serve warm for maximum impact. The chocolate will still be molten, the center yielding like fresh bread.

Chef Tips

• •Use high-quality chocolate you'd eat out of hand. Ghirardelli, Guittard, or Valrhona all work beautifully. The chopped bittersweet creates dramatic chocolate pools, while the chips provide reliable chocolate hits throughout.
• •Room temperature eggs will ruin this recipe. Cold eggs straight from the refrigerator keep the butter from warming up and maintain the dough's structure.
• •If you don't have cake flour, substitute with 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons, plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Sift together before using.
• •These cookies are best eaten within 3 hours of baking while still warm. Reheat day-old cookies in a 350°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes to restore the gooey center.
• •The walnut question divides people. Traditional Levain chocolate chip cookies include them. I love the bitter crunch against the sweet chocolate. Omit them if you must, but try them once first.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be portioned and refrigerated for up to 3 days. The flavor improves with time as the brown sugar develops deeper caramel notes.
• •Portioned dough balls freeze beautifully for up to 2 months. Freeze on a sheet pan until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
• •Baked cookies store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. They lose some magic but remain excellent. Refresh briefly in a warm oven before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 cookie (about 119g)