Sourdough Waffles

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.

Looking for more sourdough breakfast recipes? Sourdough Pancakes / Sourdough Biscuits / Sourdough Banana Bread / Sourdough Popovers / Sourdough Bagels / Sourdough English Muffins / Sourdough Granola

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