These Belgian-style waffles start with an overnight sourdough ferment. Deliciously flavorful, sourdough waffles are perfect for a quick and easy breakfast, or a savory dinner.
Savory or Sweet
The sourdough flavor of these waffles is ideal for both savory and sweet flavors. Here are some delicious ways to serve sourdough waffles
- Wholegrain Breakfast Waffles: Use whole grain flour and only 1/4 cup of sugar for the waffles. Serve them with chia seed fruit jam and yogurt.
- Savory Breakfast Waffles: A savory waffle is perfect with poached eggs and hollandaise. Omit the sugar and add a 1/4 cup of grated cheese and 1/4 cup of finely chopped spring onions to the batter.
- Dinner Waffles: Waffles are a fun alternative to bread with dinner. Savory dinner waffles can be made by omitting the sugar in the batter and adding up to 1/4 cup of a savory ingredient and a 1/4 cup of cheese. A longer ferment will give these waffles a bread-like consistency. Try sun-dried tomatoes with Parmesan; finely chopped black olives with feta, 4 cloves of finely diced garlic with 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil. There are so many options!
- Sourdough Dessert Waffles: For sweet waffles use the full 1/2 cup of sugar and add 2 tsp of vanilla extract. Serve with homemade ice cream, whipping cream, and fruit sauce.
Overnight or not?
These sourdough waffles can be mixed up and cooked right away, or stashed in the fridge for a longer ferment. Depending on which version you choose, the resulting waffles will have a different flavor and texture.
Deciding which version to make is entirely up to you!
Here are a few of the differences:
- Overnight Ferment: Letting the batter rest in the fridge overnight will give the waffles a more strong sourdough flavor. It also builds up the gluten structure. So the waffles will be chewy and bread-like.
- Cooked Right Away: Cooking right after mixing results in fluffier waffles with a sweeter flavor. The sourdough won’t have had time to ferment or develop the gluten structure. The waffles will have a more traditional waffle-like flavor and texture.
Sourdough Waffles
Traditional sourdough waffles are flavorful and delicious. These Belgian-style waffles start with an optional overnight ferment. They can be savory or sweet. For a healthy option, skip the sugar and use wholegrain flour! See the sections above for details.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Sourdough
- Cuisine: Belgian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup active sourdough starter
- 1 1/2 cups of milk
- 1/4 cup of melted butter (or vegetable oil)
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups of flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup sugar (optional, see section above for other flavors)
Instructions
- Mix the sourdough starter, milk, butter, and eggs in a large glass measuring cup or mixing bowl.
- Stir in the flour, salt, and sugar (if you want sweet waffles).
- The waffles can be cooked right away. Alternatively, put the batter in an airtight container and leave it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. See the section above for more details on each of these options.
- Cook the waffles according to the directions for your waffle iron.
Notes
- If you’re new to sourdough, here are my instructions for creating a no-waste sourdough starter. I have also made these waffles with a quick mix “instant sourdough starter”.
- I own this waffle maker
and love it.
and love it.Keywords: traditional, dessert, dinner, snack, lunch, sourdough starter, quick, make ahead, overnight, savoury, sweet, healthy, sugar free, wholegrain
Excellent recipe! The taste was barely “sour”, less so than the sourdough pancakes (which I also enjoyed), but they rose perfectly and passed the kid-test as well. I used half whole wheat pastry flour and half spelt flour, and 4 Tbsp of sugar instead of 1/2 cup.
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it! Usually my recipes are based on traditional ones, but this was something I made up on my own. It’s great to have feedback. Thanks!