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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This is our favorite sourdough waffle recipe! I didn’t have rye flour and substitututed coarse ground cornmeal. We loved the flavor and they were nice and crispy.
I put my first batch of waffle mixture in iron. It is extremely thick. Is this how it should be? It is a bit hard spreading them out on iron.
Thanks!
It is not a super-runny batter, but shouldn’t be as thick as a dough. Is your starter 100% hydration? If your starter is thicker you might need to add a little extra buttermilk to thin it out.