Use your sourdough discard in these Sourdough Waffles. Hearty, tender and so satisfying, they can be made quick for an easy breakfast or overnight. You’ll love these waffles with toppings like fresh fruit, maple syrup, homemade fruit syrup, homemade cultured butter or whipped cream.
Making waffles with sourdough discard
Waffles made with sourdough starter make every morning feel special. Since you don’t need to babysit them in a skillet, they are much easier to make than other breakfast faves like sourdough pancakes or sourdough crumpets. Sourdough discard brings a satisfyingly chewy, spongier texture than a conventional waffle which can often feel too airy and hollow.
Cooking with Sourdough Discard
Sourdough discard also adds a delicious tang to these sourdough waffles without making them overwhelmingly sour. This recipe uses baking soda as the main leavener, it aerates the batter and tenderizes the waffles. You can use an unfed sourdough starter or sourdough discard straight from the refrigerator because you won’t be using it as a leavener.
If you’re using sourdough that’s been in the fridge for weeks it will add more acidity and a tangier flavor, which you won’t get when using a freshly fed starter. Both will work for this recipe but you’ll get different results. Personally, I prefer using a more mature discard because I like the flavor it adds to my sourdough waffles.
Want to know more about Sourdough Discard? Read my guide with a list of my top recipes!
Make My Favorite Sourdough Discard Breakfast Recipes
- Sourdough Pancakes
- Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
- Sourdough Discard Biscuits
- Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough Banana Bread
Make Ahead Instructions
You can either make this waffle batter on the morning off or the day before. In testing, I found that making the batter in advance results in a lighter, crispier waffle. The longer rest period allows the gluten you built during mixing to relax and the starch molecules to swell, resulting in a light and fluffy interior.
If you don’t have the foresight to let your batter rest overnight, don’t worry your waffles will taste delicious in their own way, but will be a little denser, cakier and not as crispy.
What You Need
Ingredients
- Whole milk - imparts moisture and binds the ingredients together, I love using whole milk because it also imparts fat to the batter which results in a much more flavorful and tender waffle (sub skim milk or a plant based milk if that’s what you have on hand)
- Unsalted butter - adds richness for flavor and weakens the gluten which results in a soft, tender waffle
- All-purpose flour - the low protein content in all-purpose flour imparts tenderness to these waffles, do not substitute for bread flour or your waffles will be tough
- Whole wheat flour - adds a nutty flavor and hearty texture, you can omit and substitute all-purpose, rye, spelt or einkorn flour if you don’t have any whole wheat on hand
- Sourdough discard - imparts a delicious tanginess and unique spongy texture to these waffles
- Baking soda - helps with browning, the main leavener, tenderizes and aerates the batter
- Salt - brings out the flavor of the other ingredients
- Apple cider vinegar - tames the bitterness of the baking soda (sub lemon juice or white vinegar)
- Eggs - adds richness, lift, flavor and binds the ingredients in the waffles (sub pumpkin, bananas or applesauce to make these waffles vegan)
- Brown sugar - imparts sweetness
- Vanilla extract - adds flavor
Equipment
- Belgian Waffle Maker - You’ll need a 7-inch waffle maker for this recipe, preferably one with deep ridges. I have an old Oster model that we purchased almost 6 years ago. It was relatively cheap, nonstick and still works great (in fact I’d love to upgrade but it won’t break!), however I think it’s been discontinued. The one I’ve linked here is not the one I have but is highly recommended by both America’s Test Kitchen and Bon Appetit.
- Mixing bowl
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups
- Spatula
My favorite toppings
- Homemade cultured butter
- Fresh fruit (peaches, berries, strawberries)
- Stewed fruits (apples, peaches, pears)
- Homemade whipped cream
- Homemade fruit syrups
- Maple syrup
How to Make Waffles with Sourdough Starter
Sourdough waffles are slightly sweet with a nutty flavor; it has a hearty texture and spongy interior. Sourdough discard imparts a delicious tangy flavor to the waffles without making them overwhelmingly sour.
Waffle batter will last inside the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
These waffles are made with a small amount of whole wheat flour. Adding just a little bit to the batter imparts a sweet, nutty flavor that I love, without making the waffles too dense. You can substitute other types of flour such as rye, spelt, Kamut, einkorn or even corn flour. If you don’t have any on hand feel free to use all all-purpose flour.
Do not substitute whole wheat for the all-purpose flour in this recipe or your waffles will be too dense, dry and tough.
There are 77 grams of carbs in a 7-inch waffle.
Small Batch Recipe
I usually make small batches of everything I create since there are only 2 of us in our household. This recipe makes about 3 waffles, if you want to make more simply double the recipe.
Sourdough Waffles (Quick or Overnight)
Equipment
- waffle iron
Ingredients
- 282 grams whole milk
- 56 grams unsalted butter
- 1 egg large
- 113 grams sourdough discard
- 35 grams brown sugar
- 3 grams apple cider vinegar
- 8 grams vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 8 grams kosher salt
- 30 grams whole wheat flour
- 120 grams all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Make batter: Heat whole milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let the milk cool slightly.
- Whisk egg, sourdough discard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and vanilla extract in to the milk mixture until no traces of egg or discard remain.
- Stir in baking soda, salt and whole wheat flour until all of the flour is hydrated. Gently fold the all-purpose flour into the batter a third at a time.
- Rest: Let the batter rest for 30 minutes or overnight. The rest period allows the gluten to relax, the flour to fully hydrate and starch to swell up resulting in tender and crispier waffles. Batter will be good for up to 2 days after its made.
- Cook waffles: While your batter rests, preheat your waffle maker to medium high heat. Once your waffle maker is ready, cook 1 cup (226 grams) of batter for 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve: These waffles are best enjoyed right out of the waffle maker. Serve with your favorite toppings.
- Store: I prefer to store any leftover batter and cook my waffles fresh everytime, but these also freeze beautifully. Simply freeze any leftover waffle segments on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Store in a ziplock bag once fully frozen. For the best results, reheat in a toaster oven.
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Do you have questions? Let me know!