Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

There’s nothing that quite hits the spot the way a chocolate chip cookie does. Sure, a cupcake is nice, a croissant sublime, a slice of pie absolutely delicious. But a warm, gooey chocolate chip cookie? With the perfect amount of sweetness, and all of the nostalgia it holds for so many Americans? It just can’t be beat. But there are some for whom the texture of the perfect chocolate chip cookie is debatable. For many of us, myself included, a chewy cookie is king! But chewy isn’t the texture for everyone.

That’s where Levain-style chocolate chip cookies come into play! Inspired by the cookies sold at the famous Levain Bakery, these chocolate chip cookies are soft, thick, and decadent. I would argue they’re even the perfect safe-to-eat alternative to those who love raw cookie dough. The high heat they’re cooked at keeps the inside delightfully underbaked, while the outside is perfectly crisp. Yes, they are massive, but so what? Baked goods are for the soul and the memories you build creating them, not the nutrients. Live your life, eat a cookie.

FAQs and Science

What is “Levain Style”?

Levain Bakery is a franchise that’s particularly well known for their unique style of cookies. They’re very thick, dense, and soft. So when I label these cookies as “Levain Style,” what I mean is that this recipe is inspired by the cookies they produce.

Why include cake flour and cornstarch, rather than only using all-purpose flour?

Cake flour has the lowest protein percentage out of every kind of flour. For that reason, it’s included in recipes that demand a softer, more tender texture. 

Cornstarch is a carbohydrate that doesn’t have the ability to form the gluten protein. This alters the starch-to-protein ratio, in favor of starch over protein. Just like the cake flour, this results in a softer, more tender cookie. It’s all about the texture.

Does the dough seriously need to chill for 4 hours?

Cold cookie dough spreads less in the oven, because the butter in the dough solidifies in the fridge. Less spreading means thicker cookies. It also becomes more flavorful, because the ingredients have had time together to intensify. So yes, 4 hours is a long time to wait, but it’s an important step to follow.

400F seems really hot. Why bake them at such a high temperature?

Baking at a higher temperature gives the cookies a crisp outer shell but a soft, thick interior.

What You’ll Need

• Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
• Plastic wrap
• Medium mixing bowl
• Dry measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Spoon
• 2 baking sheets
• Cooling rack
• Kitchen scale (optional, but recommended)

The Process

Levain style chocolate chip cookies are very easy to bring together quickly, but they do have to chill for an extended period of time, so before you start, make sure you’re committed for the long haul. Once you know you’re ready, begin by bringing together the dry goods! Whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, corn starch, baking soda, baking soda, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Set the bowl of dry goods aside.

Now, to cream the butter. Place the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. You’ll see some people use the whisk attachment here, but it’s the entirely wrong choice for cookie dough. The whisk should only be used in mixtures that you want to force a ton of air into, like whipped cream or meringue. Beat them on level 3 or 4 for 5 minutes or so. The mixture should go from a medium beige color to nearly white, and develop a very fluffy texture. 

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, using a rubber spatula, to bring everything down to the center of the bowl. Make sure the eggs are room temperature, so everything will properly emulsify, and start cracking them in. Add the eggs one at a time, turning the mixer to level 3 or 4 for a minute or so. The first egg should be fully absorbed before mixing in the next, though the two yolks can be added together without issue. Scrape the sides of the bowl in between each egg, or as needed.

Dump the flour mixture in one go into the mixer with everything else. Turn the mixer to level 1 and gently incorporate the dry goods. When most of the flour has been absorbed but a few streaks remain, pause the mixer. Add the chocolate chips to the dough.

Leaving a few streaks of flour visible before pouring in any additions to cookie dough is a signal that the dough hasn’t been over-mixed. The more you mix anything made with flour, the more gluten develops. This means the gluten is getting stronger, but it can easily go too far with something like a cookie. The more you mix and develop that gluten, the tougher the final baked cookies will be. No one wants to eat a tough cookie. Turn the mixer onto level 1 and only beat the dough until the chocolate is distributed evenly.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge. Yes, it really does need a minimum of 4 hours to chill. I know, it’s an obscenely long time to refrigerate cookie dough when we all want them right now. But please trust the process. If you want those nice, thick, soft cookies, this is an important step in the process. The cold prevents the cookies from spreading out, keeping them big and thick.

Around half an hour or so before you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 400F, on the convection setting if possible. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats, and set them aside. This just makes removing the cookies from the pan once they finish baking a very easy task. Portion out the dough into 6oz or ¾ cup hunks. It’s best to do this using a kitchen scale, but if you don’t own one, measure them out using a dry measuring cup.

Shape the hunks of dough into large balls using your hands. They don’t need to be perfect, just keep them on the taller side. Flatten one section of each ball, so there’s something stable to prevent the cookies from rolling around.

Place 5 cookies on each pan, spacing them out well. Bake one pan at a time for 8-10 minutes, flipping the pan around halfway through baking. Be sure to place the pan in the center rack of the oven. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them over to a cooling rack. If you attempt to move them right away, they’ll just fall apart on you.

Once the cookies cool to room temperature (or mostly cool to room temperature, how many of us can resist a warm chocolate chip cookie?), grab yourself a glass of milk and dig in! Store any leftover cookies in a gallon sized zip top bag or a large airtight container for up to 3 days and enjoy.

Levain Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bake Time: 400F for 8-10 minutes
Servings: 10 bars
Total Time: 5 hours
Prep Time: 40 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cup cake flour
• 2 Tablespoons corn starch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 16 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups chocolate chips

Directions

1. Begin by bringing the dry goods together. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, corn starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this bowl aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on level 3 for 5 minutes or so. It should go from a medium beige color to almost white, and very fluffy in texture. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, bringing everything down to the center.
3. Now for the eggs. Beat them in one at a time on level 3 for a minute or so, waiting until the first egg fully absorbs into the dough before cracking in the next one. The two yolks can be added together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between each egg or as needed.
4. All at once, dump the dry goods into the mixer. Turn the mixer onto level 1 and combine the dough until it absorbs most of the flour, but a few streaks of flour remain. Turn the mixer off and add in the chocolate chips. Turn it back to level one and mix for a minute or so, until the flour disappears and the chocolate is evenly distributed.
5. Cover the completed dough with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or up to two days. About half an hour before you’re ready to bake, turn the oven to 400F, on the convection setting if possible. Line two baking sheets with either parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
6. Measure the dough into 6 oz or ¾ cup portions, using a sturdy spoon to scoop it out. Shape each portion into a large ball, flatten only the bottom for stability on the pan. Place 5 portions on each baking sheet. Bake one sheet at a time, on the center rack of the oven, for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through baking. 
7. Allow the cookies to rest on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Once the cookies are cool enough to touch, dig in and enjoy! Store any leftover in either a gallon-sized zip top bag or an airtight container on the counter for up to two days.

Tips

• Unbaked cookies can be frozen to pull and bake later at your discretion! Follow the recipe as written through step 6. Do not heat the oven, and only line one baking sheet. Place all of the portioned out and shaped cookies onto the lined baking sheet and place them into the freezer. Once the dough has solidified, transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer safe bag. Store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, pull the desired amount and place them onto a lined baking sheet. Bake them at 375F for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway through.