Bakery style chocolate chip cookies

Equipment Needed

• Stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or electric hand mixer)

• Large baking sheets

• Parchment paper or silicone baking mats

• Large cookie scoop (3-oz or 1/4 cup capacity)

• Wire cooling racks

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp coarse kosher salt

Wet & Flavor Ingredients

• 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

• 1 cup (200g) packed dark brown sugar (for moisture and deep caramel flavor)

• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated white sugar (for crisp edges)

• 2 large eggs, cold

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Chocolate & Toppings

• 1 ½ cups (250g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

• 1 cup (170g) dark chocolate (70%), hand-chopped into irregular pieces

• Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) for finishing

Baking Process & Intensity Scale

To achieve the desired bakery thickness, pay close attention to the mixing speed and temperature settings outlined below.

Phase 1: Prep & Dry Mixing

1. Line Baking Sheets: Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

2. Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt until evenly distributed.

Phase 2: Creaming & Dough Assembly

1. Cream Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cold cubed butter, packed dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on Low Intensity (Speed 2) for 1 minute to break down the butter, then increase to Medium Intensity (Speed 4) for 2 minutes until combined.

   Note: Do not over-cream; you want the mixture combined, not overly light and airy. Over-aerating will cause bakery cookies to collapse.

2. Add Wet Ingredients: Add the cold eggs one at a time, mixing on Low Intensity after each addition until just incorporated. Stir in the pure vanilla extract.

3. Combine Dry and Wet: Turn the mixer off and add all of the dry flour mixture at once. Mix on Lowest Intensity for 15 to 20 seconds, stopping as soon as the flour mostly disappears. A few dry streaks are fine.

4. Fold in Chocolate: Add the semi-sweet chips and hand-chopped dark chocolate. Fold manually using a sturdy rubber spatula to avoid overworking the gluten in the dough.

Phase 3: Shaping & Chilling

1. Portion Dough: Scoop out 12 large portions of dough (about 3.5 oz or 100g each, roughly the size of a tennis ball). Form them into tall, rough spheres—do not smooth the tops. Leave the surfaces craggy for that classic bakery texture.

2. Chill: Place the portions on a tray, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours (24 hours yields the best flavor).

Phase 4: Baking

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. Arrange: Place 6 chilled dough balls onto each prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 3 inches of space between them to allow for spreading.

3. Bake: Bake on the middle rack for 12 to 14 minutes at medium-high oven heat. The edges should be set and golden brown, while the centers look slightly soft and underbaked.

4. Finish & Cool: Immediately upon removing from the oven, gently sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt. Allow the cookies to sit on the hot baking sheet for 10 minutes to finish setting, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Storage & Freezing

• Room Temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container with a piece of white bread (to retain moisture) for up to 4 days.

• Freezing Dough: Dough balls can be frozen on a tray for 1 hour, then transferred to a zip-top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F (175°C) for 15 to 17 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Calculated per serving (1 large bakery-style cookie / 1/12th of recipe)