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 Eileen, Do you think I could substitute kefir for the buttermilk? I make my own kefir so it would save me going out to purchase buttermilk. Look forward to making these..
Is kefir the thickness of buttermilk? I’m sure any soured dairy would work. You may just have to adjust for the difference in the liquid if it’s thicker, like yogurt.
Ok, the kefir is about the same thickness as buttermilk, I’ll think it will work, I will let you know! Thank you your reply.
If I don’t have (or don’t like) whole wheat or rye flour, can I just use 280g of all-purpose?
Yes.
I make in in the morning, so how many hours do you think I should leave it out the sponge on a room temperature.? Thank you
Since the recipe starts with unfed starter you’ll need about 4-5 hours (the exact time is dependent on the activity of your starter) to finish mixing the batter.
Oops. I think I let is sits way longer than that. But thank you. I’ll starts mixing now. So exciting. 🙂
Thank you for saving me and my family from drowning in sourdough starter!! Honestly, I hate throwing away the “discard” and was starting to run out of space in the fridge, as well as to get on everyone’s nerves with my obsession to save every little scrap of this magic substance… 😀
These waffles tasted great and were a huge success! I will definitely be trying out some of your other discard recipes! Thank you again!
That’s great, Sara. The best part is that they freeze really well. Pop them in the toaster and you have waffles in no time. If you’re a chocoholic I highly recommend the Sourdough Brownies!
Thank you…..I thought all purpose might be a good idea. I think these will be dinner waffles!