Mix up these waffles before bed and wake up to a waffle batter that is ready to transform your breakfast.
Homemade waffles are one of those special foods that can take an ordinary day and make it feel special. They are just naturally beautiful, and it is almost like they understand how much you love your topping, so they give you little squares to hold it so it doesn’t run off.
These waffles are the birthday request. Everybody in our family of 7 gets waffles on their birthday. It is just what we do, and it somehow makes the day extra special.
Sometimes we finally get a relaxed Saturday, and I like to make a big, fancy breakfast for my family to enjoy together. These waffles are always a centerpiece at those Saturday breakfasts.
These waffles are simple and perfect for someone who just doesn’t feel like doing ALL of the work in the morning. When you mix the waffle batter the night before, it not only allows the sourdough starter to long ferment the flour, which improves digestibility, it is like a gift to the morning you. Imagine waking up to know that all you have to do is start up the waffle maker and within minutes, you have hot, perfect waffles.
These waffles are made with avocado oil, and I use this because it is a healthy oil that can tolerate high heat. If you’ve never used avocado oil, know that it doesn’t taste like avocados. In fact, it doesn’t have a taste at all. It is just simply a wonderful, heart healthy, natural oil. If you don’t have any on hand or you just prefer another type of oil, butter or coconut oil work beautifully. The texture will be slightly different, but the end result will still be a delicious waffle.
This recipe makes enough for a crowd, which is important for our family. We enjoy having some left over to eat the next day. If it is too much for your family, it is easy to cut the recipe in half. Possibly an even better option, though, is to make the entire recipe and freeze extra waffles for those days when you want a waffle without all the work.
Notes:
1. Add the baking powder right before cooking. It shouldn’t sit in the dough during long fermentation.
2. If leaving this recipe with milk and eggs on the counter to long ferment is concerning to you, put it in the refrigerator. It will still ferment, but it is a slower process. I have never had a bad experience with leaving it on the counter to ferment all night with my sourdough starter.
3. If you would like to make this recipe without long fermentation, you can simply add sourdough discard, add the baking powder immediately, and cook it immediately. You can even leave out the sourdough starter completely, and it makes excellent waffles. I’ve done it all the ways, and it always works.
4. These are excellent pancakes as well!
The Recipe:
1/2 cup sourdough starter
4 eggs
1 cup avocado oil (sub: coconut oil or butter)
4 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar (optional)
3 1/2 cups milk
4 tsp baking powder (added right before cooking)
Mix the eggs and sourdough starter with a Danish whisk until they are somewhat mixed together. Add the oil and mix. Add the vanilla, flour, salt, and optional sugar. Roughly mix and then add the milk.
If your dough is clumpy after mixing, don’t worry about this. After long fermentation, it will be smooth and easy to mix.
When you are ready to cook the waffles, add the baking powder and cook in your waffle iron.