Sourdough Waffles with whole grain
Once you make these Sourdough Waffles with whole grain, you’ll never go back to baking powder waffles again. Looking for a weekend breakfast or brunch recipe? Not anymore.
Nothing is better for breakfast than hot and fresh waffles dripping with real maple syrup and maybe a pat of melting butter.
But waffles must be eaten the minute they come off the waffle iron for maximum crunch. So I almost never order them out because they almost always disappoint.
But why would you want to go out for breakfast when you can make these lovelies in the comfort of your own kitchen? They’re crisp and light yet substantial.
Even though I’m a baker by profession, I’m definitely not a morning person. If you’re like me and prefer the least amount of work first thing in the morning, you’ll love this recipe.
Make the sponge the night before, then it takes about a minute to finish mixing the batter in the morning.
If you don’t have one, check out my post to learn How to Make a Sourdough Starter. Then check out my system to Feed and Maintain Sourdough Starter.
Why Sourdough Waffles are better than regular waffles:
- Make your sponge the night before with the unfed starter and the sponge will be active and ready to mix by the time you wake up hungry for breakfast.
- The sourdough starter and whole grains give the waffles a great bread-like chew.
- A little baking soda is added to react with the buttermilk in the batter.
- The baking soda gives the waffles a last minute lift for lightness.
- For maximum lift use the batter as soon as the baking soda is mixed in because the reaction happens upon mixing, not in the heat of the waffle iron.
- Serve them hot off the iron or hold them in a 200°F oven if you prefer to serve them all at once.
- The waffles freeze beautifully so extras can be placed in a freezer bag for another day. Just pop them in the toaster whenever the mood strikes.
Serve these Whole Grain Sourdough Waffles with real maple syrup. I’m a fan of Grade B Maple Syrup‘s strong flavor (it’s sometimes called Grade A extra dark).
For another sourdough breakfast treat, try these Sourdough Pancakes.
I know you hate to throw away that sourdough discard. Check out these recipes that use sourdough discard.
If you love this recipe, I’d appreciate a 5-star review!
Sourdough Waffle Recipe
Ingredients
Overnight Sponge
- 8 oz unfed sourdough starter (1 cup, 100% hydration)
- 5 oz unbleached All-Purpose Flour (1 cup, see note)
- 2 ½ oz whole wheat flour (½ cup)
- 2 ½ oz rye flour (½ cup)
- 2 oz granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 16 oz buttermilk (2 cups)
Batter
- Sponge
- 3 oz unsalted butter (melted)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 oz unfed sourdough starter, 5 oz unbleached All-Purpose Flour, 2 ½ oz whole wheat flour, 2 ½ oz rye flour, 2 oz granulated sugar and 16 oz buttermilk. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight.
In the morning:
- Preheat the waffle iron. Preheat the oven if you want to hold the waffles before serving.
- Melt 3 oz unsalted butter in a small microwave safe measuring cup or bowl. Whisk 2 large eggs into the slightly warm butter. Add the butter mixture to the sponge. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon table salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda over the batter.
- Mix until the baking soda and salt are completely dispersed in the batter. Once the baking soda is added you should use the batter immediately.
- Make the waffles according to the waffle iron manufacturer's instructions. Serve waffles immediately or hold in a 200 °F warm oven till ready to serve.
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Hello! Thank you! thank you! very much for this awesome waffle recipe! Ive had a leftover mix of wheat and rye starters in my refrigerator. I had them after I’ve fed both of starters. Now I know where to use those accumulated starters in my fridge. I just subs butter for canola oil( I was just lazy to melt the butter). And I use honey instead of sugar. I end up having seven gorgeous and delicious waffles.
Thank you sooo much!
I’ve made these waffles hundreds of times now, my family loves them. They freeze well but are fantastic right out of the waffle iron. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Thanks, Sarah. They do freeze really well.
How do I make unfed sourdough starter?
Thanks for your time helping us to enjoy your recipes.
Unfed sourdough starter is simply a live (but inactive) starter that hasn’t been “fed” with flour and water. If you bake every day your starter is always fed and ready to go. I don’t bake every day so I keep my starter in the refrigerator between baking sessions. Each time I bake (or after a few weeks of not baking) I take the starter out of the refrigerator to feed it so the yeast doesn’t die off. I remove 8 oz of starter (this is also known as sourdough discard) and replace that with 4 oz of water and 4 oz of flour. That “discard” is also unfed starter and can be used in recipes like these waffles. For this recipe, the unfed starter is “fed” and then becomes the “sponge” overnight.
I think these might be the perfect waffles! I usually make the “waffles of insane greatness” that are cornstarch based, but these have all the texture and much more flavor. Thanks!
Thanks, MK. What I love about the sourdough waffles is the bready texture and chew. Enjoy!
I’ve never tried sourdough waffles! What an amazing idea! I think I have to use my homemade sourdough starter to make them on the weekend.
You’ll love them. So much better than regular waffles. Let me know how they turn out.