Sourdough Discard Recipes

Sourdough Waffles

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Are you a waffle lover? If you haven’t made sourdough waffles yet, what are you waiting for? These are absolutely incredible sourdough waffles. Crispy on the outside but soft in the middle – exactly what a waffle should be. I grew up making breakfast with my dad every Saturday morning (usually Bisquick pancakes) but sometimes we would make waffles using our Mickey waffle iron – the Mickey ears were my favorite part. You can’t beat a weekend or weekday morning with piping hot waffles, maple syrup and some fresh fruit – except if those waffles have sourdough in them! Then they taste even better. Bring on the weekend…and the sourdough waffles!

Important Ingredients to Make Sourdough Waffles

  • Sourdough Discard: This recipe for sourdough waffles starts with sourdough discard. I use 100% hydration sourdough discard. If you are making waffles right away, an older discard will add more sourdough flavor to these waffles. You can also substitute bubbly sourdough starter for the sourdough discard.
  • Milk: 2% or whole milk work best in this recipe.
  • Buttermilk: Buttermilk makes these waffles tender. I always keep buttermilk on hand for this recipe, my easy whole grain pancakes and my sourdough blueberry muffins.
  • Eggs: This recipe calls for 2 eggs.
  • Oil: I often use vegetable oil, but any neutral-flavored oil or melted butter will work.
  • Granulated Sugar: A small amount of granulated sugar helps balance the flavors of the waffles.
  • Flour: I’ve made this recipe for years using all-purpose flour, but I really love using a freshly milled soft whole wheat flour. If you choose to use a soft whole wheat flour, add an extra 40 grams of soft wheat flour to the recipe. Otherwise, this recipe works well with only all-purpose flour or a combination of whole wheat and all purpose flour.
  • Cornstarch: Cornstarch is a key ingredient to making these waffles crispy on the outside but light and fluffy inside. Definitely a “secret ingredient” to this sourdough waffle recipe.
  • Baking Powder, Baking Soda & Salt: Baking powder and baking soda work together to give the waffles their rise. Salt gives flavor. Make note that if you want to long-ferment the waffle batter, you’ll need to mix up all the ingredients EXCEPT the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Place the batter in the fridge for 24-48 hours. Before making the waffles, add the baking powder, baking soda and salt into the batter and mix gently.

How to Make Sourdough Waffles

Wet Ingredients: Mix together the liquid/wet ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Completely incorporate the sourdough discard with the milk, buttermilk, eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla extract – if you are planning to make the waffles right then. There should be no lumps or clumps of the discard, but it should dissolve in with the rest of the wet ingredients. You can use discard that is cold, straight from your fridge or room temperature discard. Set the bowl aside.

Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour and cornstarch. Add in the baking soda, baking powder and salt if you are planning to make the waffles right away. If you want to long-ferment the batter for the sourdough benefits and flavor, save the baking soda, baking powder and salt to mix in after the long-ferment.

Mix Together: Pour the flour mixture on top of the wet ingredients and mix together until just combined.

If you want a stronger sourdough flavor and the sourdough benefits, the sourdough waffle batter can be made the night before. Combine all the ingredients except for the baking soda, powder, salt and vanilla (stir those in right before you make the waffles). This batter can be long-fermented overnight and or even up to a couple days in the refrigerator.

Cooking Sourdough Waffles

To make waffles, you need a waffle iron. I own a lot of waffle irons and the type of waffle iron is up to your personal preference. What is important is that you follow the waffle iron directions. Make sure that your waffle iron is pre-heated and hot for every waffle that you make. This may mean you have to close the waffle iron in between waffles to let the iron pre-heat just a bit before adding the batter. Take about 1/3-1/2 cup of waffle batter and place it on the sizzling hot waffle iron. Close the waffle iron. The light on the iron is usually red. When it turns green, it’s time to take the waffle out of the waffle iron.

How to Serve Sourdough Waffles

Sourdough waffles are delicious plain – seriously! But I do love whipping up some heavy whipping cream, slicing some berries and warming up some syrup to make these waffles a decadent breakfast treat. We also often double the recipe and make the extras to freeze for quick breakfasts throughout the school year. You can toast the waffles to reheat them if you want them crispy or just warm them up a bit in the microwave, if you prefer them less crispy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are your favorite waffle irons?

Maybe one day I’ll invest in a fancy waffle iron, but for now we are loving this Cuisinart one that gets the job done, makes delicious waffles and is a great price. I also love the mini dash waffle irons for smaller portions and my favorite is probably the Mickey Mouse–those Mickey ears are so delicious and fun, especially for kids and Disney lovers.

How do I store leftover sourdough waffles?

I freeze leftover waffles in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Toast the waffles if you want them crispy again or warm up in the microwave before eating.

I don’t have buttermilk. What can I substitute instead?

I’ve found the best substitute for buttermilk is a mixture of milk and sour cream. Mix together equal volume of sour cream and milk. For 1/2 cup, I would mix together 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup milk. Mix this together and then substitute the appropriate amount for the buttermilk.

Looking for More Delicious Sourdough Discard Recipes?

Sourdough Waffles

Amy
Sourdough waffles have the perfect texture: crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Perfectly delicious made with sourdough discard, these flavorful sourdough waffles are perfect with melty butter, a drizzle of maple syrup and some fresh berries.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Overnight option: 12 hours
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12 waffles

Ingredients
  

  • 230 grams sourdough discard about 1 cup
  • 200 grams milk 3/4 cup
  • 130 grams buttermilk see recipe note for substitutions, 1/2 cup
  • 2 large eggs about 100 grams
  • 150 grams vegetable oil or any neutral flavored oil, 2/3 cup
  • 15 grams sugar 1 tablespoon
  • 145 grams all purpose flour see recipe note, about 1 cup
  • 40 grams cornstarch 1/4 cup
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda for overnight option see recipe note (6 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder for overnight option see recipe note (4 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon salt for overnight option see recipe note (6 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for overnight option see recipe note (4 grams)

Instructions
 

  • Same Day Option:
    To a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, milk, buttermilk, eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. In a small separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add dry flour mixture on top of the liquid ingredients and mix until just combined.
  • Overnight Option:
    To a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, milk, buttermilk, eggs, oil, and sugar until smooth. Fluff together the flour and cornstarch in a small bowl and add on top of the liquid ingredients. Whisk together until fully combined and refrigerate for 12-48 hours.
    Pre-heat a waffle iron. While it's preheating, pull the batter out of the refrigerator. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Whisk until fully incorporated.
  • Heat waffle irons and put about ⅓ – ½ cup of waffle batter onto hot iron. Bake according to the directions on your waffle iron. Ours usually take 2-3 minutes per waffle.
  • Serve immediately with hot syrup, berries or even powdered sugar and whipped cream. Eat immediately. Waffles can be re-toasted in the toaster to bring back a little bit of the crispiness if you want to freeze the extras for a later time. Enjoy!

Notes

Overnight Option: If you want the sourdough flavor to come through, mix up the batter the night before except for the following ingredients:
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Refrigerate the batter overnight and add the baking soda, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract right before baking for best sourdough flavor.
Flour: I often use freshly milled whole wheat flour in place of the all-purpose flour in this recipe. Substitute the all purpose flour for hard wheat flour. If you use soft white wheat or wheat with a low protein content, increase the flour to 185 grams (this is my preference). You can also substitute 50% whole wheat flour and 50% white flour for the all-purpose flour.
Buttermilk: I prefer to keep buttermilk on hand if possible for recipes, but in a pinch you can mix 1/4 cup sour cream or greek yogurt with 1/4 cup milk together in a liquid measuring cup and substitute it for the buttermilk.
 
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16 Comments

  1. Kris Larsen

    Your dad wants to stop by this morning… unfortunately, the commute is too far and impossible at this time 😷😜 These waffles look 😍😋!!

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  8. These are the best waffles I have ever made, maybe the best I’ve ever eaten! And, a great way to use up some discard. Yum!

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  10. Natalia Kiercul

    I have just started my journey with sourdough and made my first recipe using a discard. I must say that these are the best waffles I have eaten so far. (Actually eating them while typing this). I have substituted the flour with a whole spelt.

    Just wandering if I want to reduce the amount of oil by half what about the flour amount?

    • The flour shouldn’t change much if you reduce the oil. Maybe add a little extra milk if you think it’s too thick. Also you can substitute some unsweetened applesauce for part of the oil and it works great too.

  11. I love making these (especially the overnight option), and its great that it uses up my discard as well it makes 7-8 waffles in my iron and I put more than a 1/3 cup of batter in. My mom makes a great waffle recipe that involved too many steps imo, and I could never get it right… and I like this one equally if not better than hers 🙂 Thanks!

  12. Kylie Solis

    5 stars
    Best waffles ever!!! I love that you can use wheat or all purpose flour. I did half and half, and they were delicious. So lovely and crispy with some cinnamon and maple syrup. And easy enough for a weekday breakfast

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