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2019-08-04 Discarded Sourdough Waffles

Other matters have grabbed my attention of late, as a result, this will be a short post. Sorry about that!

This is another recipe from the rec.food.sourdough faqs. Last time, it was pancakes, this time it's waffles.Sourdough waffles - part of a great breakfast!

I really don't know whether I like pancakes or waffles more - probably whatever is in front of me! Both are a moment of joy on the breakfast table and a cause for celebration. Whether I'm served pancakes, waffles or French toast, I'm happy! Hmmm..... you can make French toast with sourdough bread (our Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread is especially good for this! I'll have to post that recipe soon!), but can you make the batter with sourdough? I feel a new kitchen adventure coming on! And now, as someone said last week, without further time wasting ado, let's make some waffles!

GramsIngredientBaker's PercentageCups/Spoons
500 GramsSourdough Starter192%2 cups
100 GramsEggs39%2 large eggs
240 GramsMilk92%1 cup
106 GramsLight Olive Oil41%1/2 cup
260 GramsUnbleached all-purpose flour100%2 cups
50 GramsSugar19%1/4 cup
12 GramsBaking Powder4.6%1 TBSP
5 GramsBaking Soda1.9%1 tsp
6 GramsSalt2.3%1 tsp

We suggest a light olive oil because while we love olive oil, this isn't a place for a rich fruity flavor forward olive oil!

This made 8 eight inch round waffles. How many it will make for you will depend on the size of your waffle iron.

Put the eggs in a large bowl and beat them thoroughly. Add the milk, light olive oil and sourdough starter. Stir.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir the ingredients together with a few swift sure strokes, you don't want to overwork the batter - a few lumps are OK. My favorite tool for this is a stainless steel dough whisk.
Heat a waffle A NordicWare camping waffle iron similar to oursiron to Sourdough Waffle Nutrional Analysisyour preferred temperature. I have to admit I really prefer the convenience of an electric waffle iron as they are easier to adjust, but I've gotten wonderfully great results from NordicWare Belgian Waffle Irons that are heated over a range or camp fire. Our Nordic Ware has served us well for many camp outs and decadent Sunday brunches! Lightly oil the waffle iron when it's at the correct temperature.

How much batter to use will depend on the size of your waffle iron. We used about 3/4 cup in our 8" Cuisinart waffle maker. I usually let the waffles cook until I can smell them. Then I lift the lid and look at them. If they aren't dark enough, I close the waffle maker and let them cook a bit more. You may want to re-read your waffle maker's instructions before you start if it's been a while since you made waffles.

I suggest cooking all the waffles at once. Baking soda batters tend to not hold well. We have a warming drawer in our oven we use to keep the waffles warm as we finish cooking the rest of the waffles.

Like pancakes, waffles are a blank canvas and you can do all sorts of things with them. One of my favorites is to put a piece of bacon or two on the waffle maker and then pour the batter over it. While the waffle is cooking, the bacon will cook also. Do you have any special waffle tricks you can share? Pictures greatly appreciated!

We really enjoyed these waffles! In closing, may your waffles always rise, no matter what sort of waffle iron you're using!
-Mike

12 thoughts on “Discarded Starter Waffles”

  1. Is the olive oil listed in the ingredients just used for coating the waffle iron or should it be mixed in with the other liquids.

    1. Hi Jon,
      Sorry, that wasn’t clear. I’ve updated the recipe. But yes, the olive oil should go into the batter, not on the waffle iron. How you treat your waffle iron is a private thing between you and your waffle iron.
      -Mike

    1. The idea of discarded starter is that is starter you set aside in the course of usual feeding and did not feed again. It works in these recipes by the interaction of the acidity in the starter and the baking soda. In short, don’t feed it. I give the discarded a starter a “sniff test” before using it. If it smells OK, I make the recipe. -Mike

  2. I’ve made these several times but I won’t again. I tried it because I have a NordicWare waffle iron and thought since you made it with that it would come out good. But I have had so much trouble with uneven cooking and waffles sticking to pans that I am lucky to get one good waffle out of a batch. Next time I will try the NordicWare classic waffle recipe but substitute sourdough starter.

    1. Hi Nunu,
      We really like our NordicWare waffle irons and are sorry you aren’t as thrilled as we are. It isn’t clear how the recipe would cook unevenly in this waffle iron or that.

      My shoot from the hip guess is you didn’t heat the waffle iron long enough. You should flip the iron over several times as it heats, and use a moderate heat, not a high one, to heat the waffle iron. If your waffle iron has a built in thermometer, let it get to a bit past the recommended range, flip the iron over, and then put the waffle batter into the bottom. Close the iron and let it bake.

      If your NordicWare Waffle iron is one of the newer ones that doesn’t have a built in thermometer, you might drop some water on the waffle iron to see if it’s hot enough. For pancakes, you want to see the drop of water boil on contact, not hit and then boil. You could also use an infrared thermometer to check the temperature of the iron, though that may be overkill.

      I hope this helps,
      Mike

        1. Hi Teng,
          Interesting, I’d not thought of that. My first thought was, “It could rust!” But since it is made of aluminum, that’s not an issue.

          My own approach is to leave the waffle pan on the stove top for quite some time to let the highly conductive aluminum work its magic.

          Best wishes,
          Mike

  3. i cant seem to find anything on your site that relates to timing. I.e. 1) if my discarded starter is in the ‘fridge can I use it directly in the recipe. 2) if i use the discarded starter just retrieved from my sourdough jar and it isnt quite the amount for the recipe may i add what is already in the ‘fridge?
    this is a great site. glad I found it

    1. Hi Karen,
      I;m glad you like the site! It makes me happy when people find and like the site!

      I almost never talk about how long it should take for a bread, or starter, to rise. There are a large number of yeast and bacteria that can from a viable sourdough starter. They don’t work at the same speed.

      A lot depends on how you feed and care for your starter. A start that is fed frequently is much faster than one that is fed infrequently.

      Temperature is another factor. What’s room temperature anyway? In the winter around here it is between 65 and 70F, and I use a proofing box at 75F; in the summer room temperature is around 78 to 82F. It makes a BIG difference.

      Some say water makes a difference, some say flour makes a difference. Since I have no control over any of these factors i your kitchen, I’d rather talk about what to look for.

      Hope this helps,
      Mike

      Sincee

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