Mention sourdough and people think San Francisco. While that’s not wrong, the leavening of bread with “yesterday’s” dough is as old as grain cultivation, and with it the inevitable rise of bread making (see what I did there?).
While my bread making has been inconsistent the last few months, there is an active sourdough culture in our fridge. That means this starter is fed every two to three weeks. It is pulled from the fridge, a portion is removed, and equal amounts of flour and water are added. Then it is allowed to start working before it’s return to the fridge.
The process of feeding a sourdough starter means there is some amount of perfectly good leavening agent that gets washed down the drain, if it’s not used for baking. When there’s no bread to bake, we make waffles. The recipe will work for pancakes if you are so inclined. “A waffle is just a more considerate pancake. It’s like, here, let me hold that syrup for you in these convenient boxes.”
If you are interested in sourdough, there are ways to start from scratch, but it is way easier to either find a baker and ask … they are usually looking for someone to take the cast off. But be ready to feed the beast regularly. That might be motivation to make a loaf of bread, or at least the more considerate breakfast food.
Sourdough Waffles
Ingredients
Overnight sponge
- 120 grams unfed sourdough starter
- 120 grams unbleached flour can do 50% Whole Wheat
- 14 grams sugar
- 225 grams buttermilk
waffle batter
- 1 large egg beaten
- 25 grams butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
The night before:
- To make the overnight sponge, stir down your refrigerated starter, and remove 1 cup. Note: This is a good opportunity to feed the remainder, if necessary.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the 1 cup unfed starter, flour, sugar, and buttermilk. Cover and let rest at cool room temperature (about 65°F to 70°F) for about 12 hours, or overnight.
The next morning:
- In a small bowl or mixing cup, beat together the eggs, and oil or butter. Add to the overnight sponge. Add the salt and baking soda, stirring to combine. The batter will bubble.
- Coat a 6 inch round waffle iron with cooking spray and heat. Pour ⅔ cup measures of batter onto a heated iron and bake until steam stops escaping from sides. Should make about 4 waffles
Yum. I did read somewhere to not put the excess starter down the drain as it can harden and clog your pipes…. just put it in the trash if you don’t have enough things to make with unfed starter 😋