I bake brownies regularly using different recipes, but somehow they always turn out way too dry and crumbly for me. I stick to the baking time, but the result is never as moist as I'd like it to be. What could be causing this?
The problem is probably your oven temperature - a lot of ovens heat unevenly or run hotter than they say they do, and then your brownies bake through faster than the recipe timing suggests. Before you start tweaking recipes or fat amounts, I'd recommend grabbing an oven thermometer and checking whether the actual temperature is right. Plus, it helps to pull the brownies out when a toothpick still shows a few moist crumbs - not completely dry. How long are you letting them sit in the oven after baking before you take them out?
Definitely avoid overbaking - that's the most common reason for dry brownies. A lot of people bake for the full recommended time, even though every oven heats differently. A brownie should still be slightly moist and a bit jiggly in the middle when you take it out of the oven. It sounds counterintuitive, but the heat retained in the batter means it continues cooking as it cools down. So test the doneness with a toothpick a minute or two before the recommended time is up - if just a few moist crumbs stick to it, that's perfect.
Another factor is the ratio of fat to flour. Brownies need a relatively high amount of butter or oil to get that fudgy texture. If you use a very lean recipe or cut back on fat for health reasons, the result will inevitably be dry. Look at your favorite recipes and compare the fat amounts - with real, moist brownies, the oil or butter should weigh roughly the same as the flour, or even more.
Third: let the brownies cool completely before cutting into them, ideally for a few hours or overnight. While they're still warm, they seem drier because the fat hasn't solidified again yet. And store them in an airtight container - that way they'll stay nice and moist over several days instead of drying out.
Interestingly, it's often not about overbaking at all, but rather not enough fat in the batter - some recipes are just too stingy with it. Try increasing the butter amount by 20-30% or adding an extra egg; that makes the brownies way moister. Another trick: bake them intentionally a bit shorter and take them out of the oven when the toothpick still has a few moist crumbs on it - the brownies will continue cooking and won't dry out. And store them afterward in a sealed box with a piece of bread or an apple slice inside; that helps the moisture stay locked in.
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