l think when you really love to bake, you start becoming fixated on one particular aspect of it. Bread bakers are always striving for the perfect loaf. Cake makers are always looking for the perfect crumb and cake to frosting ratio. In my case, I’m constantly in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie. This weekend, I set out to find it.

I’ve tried some really, really good chocolate chip cookies in my time, and I take notes as I eat them. I like the consistency to be soft but not too soft, the edges to be slightly crispy, and the chocolate to be gooey, melted, and luxurious. Through these observations, and through experimentation in my own kitchen, I’m moving one step closer to creating the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever.

That’s where these sea salt chocolate chip cookies come in. I created a recipe this weekend that combined everything I knew about baking chocolate chip cookies with notes from ones I’ve tasted. I bought the best chocolate I could find, Valrhona, which was a splurge but totally worth it. You can taste the difference between cheap chocolate and the good, expensive kind. It’s like having a good glass of wine. You might settle for the cheap stuff sometimes, but you’ll never really enjoy it as much as when you get the quality bottle.

Also, I used flaky Maldon sea salt on top. I’ve done this before with chocolate chip cookies, but this time, I didn’t hold back. I’m a strong believer that salt makes a huge difference in chocolate chip cookies. It balances all the sweetness, and it adds more flavor to the cookies. I added a little pile on top of each cookie before it went into the oven.

Finally, I chilled the dough overnight. I sometimes skip this step, because honestly, who wants to wait a day for chocolate chip cookies? Also, I had a chef tell me once this step is completely useless. However, the more I bake chocolate chip cookies, the more I realize it’s really necessary for the best possible final product. I’m not a food scientist, so I’m not sure why chilling the dough helps. If I had to guess, it would probably be because it gives the dough a chance to meld together more and for the ingredients to settle before you put it in the piping hot oven. Either way, I’d recommend doing it because you’ll end up with a cookie with a near perfect consistency- soft, chewy, melty, and decadent.

One more thing I did that makes a difference is reserving some of the chopped chocolate for the tops of the cookies before they chill in the fridge. If you’ve ever wondered how fancy chocolate chip cookies get those decadent pools of chocolate on top, this is how. You can wedge the chocolate in the balls of cookie dough before you put them in the fridge to chill overnight. Then, they will melt down and sink into the cookies as they bake in the oven.

I’m going to keep playing around with ratios and ingredients this year, but this recipe is the closest I’ve gotten to finding the best chocolate chip cookie. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

Here’s a song to get you started on your next chocolate chip cookie baking project.

Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

226 g unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
100 g dark brown sugar
200 g light brown sugar
100 g granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
196 g all-purpose flour
200 g bread flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of Kosher salt
4 oz good quality dark chocolate, chopped
flaky sea salt for topping

Directions

Combine the butter, sugars, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment. Mix together until it’s light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix on low until combined, then add the egg yolk and mix until combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides as needed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and pinch of salt. Add to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix on low until just combined. Add most of the chopped chocolate and continue to mix until incorporated. I like to use the spatula at this point to scrape the bottom and the sides, and make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop balls of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Top each dough ball with a little reserved chocolate, pressing it gently into the surface so it adheres to the cookie. Wrap the baking sheet in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least eight hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 338 degrees F. Line a new baking sheet with parchment paper. Place some of the dough balls on the sheet, leaving 2 inches between each of them, and sprinkle a healthy amount of flaky sea salt on top of each ball. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are mostly set and starting to brown on top. Remove the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes before carefully placing them on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat the baking process until all your cookies are done. Enjoy!