Waffles

Yeasted waffles

These waffles strike a balance between the sourdough and beer versions: they have the complexity of a risen batter, but don’t require too much preparation. And especially with hungry kids, it’s nice to wake up with batter that’s ready to cook.

• 1.75c whole milk
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 2c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp instant yeast
• 2 large eggs

1. Melt the butter into half the milk in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, add the other half of the milk, and let the mixture cool until it’s less than 120 degrees (or just warm to the touch).
2. Beat the eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk in the butter and milk mixture, then the egg and vanilla mixture.
4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. The batter will at least double in size.

Sourdough waffles

These waffles are complex and crispy, but take quite a bit of planning and a healthy sourdough starter. The recipe is adapted from King Arthur Flour.

• 344g all-purpose flour
• 28g sugar
• 557g buttermilk or clabbered milk
• 20g sourdough starter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 50g (0.25 c) vegetable oil or 57g butter (4 tbsp), melted
• 5g salt
• 5g baking soda
• 3g baking powder

1. Mix the flour, sugar, buttermilk, and starter. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight. (The sponge should be at maximum height in the morning. If it’s started to fall, the waffles will be more sour. Adjust the fermentation temperature and the volume of the starter inoculation as necessary.)
2. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, butter or oil, and vanilla. Gently mix into the sponge.
3. Add the salt, baking soda, and baking powder. The batter should bubble.

Beer waffles

In a pinch, these waffles capture some of the complexity of the sourdough and yeasted versions without the lengthy preparation. The recipe is adapted from my friend Nick at Macheesmo.

• 240g (2 c) all-purpose flour
• 15g baking powder
• 12 oz can Pabst Blue Ribbon or similar light beer
• 8 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 c milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• pinch salt

1. Whisk dry ingredients.
2. Mix in beer.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients, then gently mix into batter.
4. Batter is ready to use immediately, but improves if left for up to half an hour before cooking.

Notes

• If I’m in a rush and don’t have any light beer, I make pancakes. I haven’t found another quick waffle recipe that’s worth the effort.
• The sourdough batter doesn’t make good pancakes, but the beer batter does.
• Don’t use fancier beers. Stick to light, nearly-flavorless lagers: Corona, Miller Lite, and Trader Jose’s Light are all good PBR alternatives.