Crisp and light, Sourdough Waffles are so delicious! Simple to make using sourdough starter or discard. Top with delicious maple-glazed peaches or berries! Can be made ahead and frozen, or used as pancake batter. Video.
Crisp, pillowy, and light, Sourdough Waffles are a delicious way to use up extra sourdough starter discard during the warmer months when baking bread baking takes a back seat. In summer, when temperatures soar, I find bread baking goes by the wayside -the last thing I want to do is turn on my oven and heat up the house!
But I end up feeling very sorry for my sourdough starter. It used to have such purpose, turning out big beautiful loaves of crusty bread each week during the colder months. Now it just sits around feeling bored, week after week, with nothing to do. I feed it and put it back to bed until the next week. So sad. Until now! A friend gave me this brilliant idea of using the unfed starter in waffles ….and man oh man, is it good!
Why you’ll love Sourdough Waffles!
Those of you who have sourdough starter on hand will love this recipe, not only for the flavor and complexity it adds to waffles but for the deep satisfaction it brings of using up your sourdough discard rather than tossing it before its next feeding. And I’m certain once you try these, you’ll never go back.
Sourdough waffle ingredients
- Sourdough starter or discard – fed or unfed.
- Flour– All-purpose flour, whole wheat, or Gluten-free flour blend.
- Buttermilk – or whole milk (or plant based)
- Sugar- or use maple syrup, or honey for a hint of sweetness.
- Melted Butter or coconut oil
- Large Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Baking soda and salt
- Optional additions- chocolate chips, berries, etc.
How to make sourdough waffles (instructions)
- Make the overnight sponge. In a large bowl stir together the flour, discard, buttermilk, and sugar. Place in the fridge overnight, so it’s ready to use in the morning.
- In the morning, bring to room temperature, whisk in the eggs, melted butter, salt, baking soda, and vanilla.
- Make waffles! Pour into a greased waffle iron. (The batter also makes tasty pancakes, in a cast iron skillet!)
- Feel free to store cooked waffles in the freezer and toast as needed.
Optional sourdough Waffle toppings
- To top off the Sourdough Waffles, I’ve added caramelized summer peaches seared in a skillet with a little butter and finished with a generous drizzle of real maple syrup.
- This Sourdough Waffle recipe would also work well with caramelized plums, apricots, pears, apples, bananas, strawberries, or pineapple or cherries.
- Or use your favorite toppings- fresh fruit, fresh berries and whipped cream.
Give these a whirl, keeping in mind that it will need to rest overnight, so be sure to start this the night before.
More sourdough discard Recipes You’ll love!
Enjoy and let us know what you think in the comments below!
WAtch the Sourdough Waffle Video!
Sourdough Waffles
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 13 hours 20 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Breakfast, sourdough
- Method: griddle
- Cuisine: Northwest
Description
Crisp and light, Sourdough Waffles are delicious and SO simple to make using your extra sourdough starter. Top with delicious maple-glazed peaches or stone fruit.
Ingredients
Overnight Sponge:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar (or maple syrup)
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup sourdough starter, (275 grams)
Morning Waffles
- all of the overnight sponge
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 –1/2 cup melted butter – yes, more is better 🙂 (or sub coconut oil, ghee, light olive oil )
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Glazed Peaches
- 2–3 large peaches, sliced
- 1–2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
- 4 tablespoons real maple syrup, more for drizzling
Instructions
- To make the overnight sponge, stir down your refrigerated starter, and place 1 cup in a large bowl.
- Add flour, sugar, and buttermilk and mix. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight.
- The next morning, in a small bowl beat together the eggs, and butter. Add to the overnight sponge.
- Add the salt, baking soda and vanilla stirring to combine. The batter will bubble.
- Pour batter onto your preheated, greased waffle iron, and bake according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- To make glazed peaches, heat 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add peaches. Let caramelize, and turn over to caramelize the other side. Once both sides have a little color, drizzle maple syrup over top.
- Serve waffles immediately, to ensure crispness. Lather with optional butter, top with caramelized peaches, and drizzle with more maple syrup if you like. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Yield: 6 6- 8″ thick waffles.
Notes
Here is a recipe for Sourdough Starter .
Feel free to play with different flours here- oat, spelt, einkorn- a blend is nice too.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: one 7 inch waffle (without toppings) using ¼ cup butter
- Calories: 335
- Sugar: 8.4 g
- Sodium: 612 mg
- Fat: 12.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 48.1 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 10.2 g
- Cholesterol: 91.3 mg
I just made these this morning for my family and they were a hit! It was my first recipe attempt using the starter I received from a friend. I’m wondering if there is a way to double this without doubling the amount of starter needed? Or would I need to use more starter? I have a large family with mostly teenage boys that can eat multiple waffles in one sitting and that batch was gone quickly. Thanks!
Glad they worked! yes, you would need to double the starter.
Can we substitute buttermilk with regular full fat milk?
I don’t see why not? Give it a go!
It saysto make the overnight sponge, to place 1 cup in a large bowl, add flour, sugar, and buttermilk.
Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight.
It doesn’t say if we need to mix the mixture before letting it rest overnight.
Do we just add the ingredients to the bowl and let sit overnight or mix everything first?
Oops. Yes, mix. Fixed it and sorry about that Randy!
Fantastic!
Thank you for the recipe.
I tried this waffle recipe this morning and everyone loved them. They were deemed the Best Waffles Ever! by my granddaughter and the title was confirmed by all. Thanks for great recipe. I used your directions and recipe for the sourdough starter as well.
This recipe is fantastic, thank you! It’s become our favorite waffle recipe for Sunday brunch.
We have a good amount of leftover waffles. How many days can I store the prepared mix so we can make fresh waffles mid week?
I think it should be fine up to 3 days in the fridge. Or just premake the waffles and reheat?
Hello! I used your sourdough starter technique and made bread the other day- its so good! Thank you! I was wondering if you can cut this waffle recipe in half?
I’ll try your waffles in the morning . I LOVE your sourdough recipe! The best I have ever made. We live in Santa Barbara where I read you are too at this time. The best bread in the best place on earth.
Thank you.
Paul Cook
Thanks Paul!
When it goes into the fridge for final storage, does it rise in the fridge? Do i put it in there after i fed it or after it drops again? I am confused on the keep in the fridge and don’t wanna ruin my little smelly friend. Thank you for this info and my amazing starter
Hi Janine, are you inquiring about the starter itself?
Great recipe. Great way to use discard starter. Have been making waffles from scratch this is a welcome addition. I substituted unsweetened soy milk, came out perfect. Thank you
I usd the recipe for pancakes. I had no buttermilk, so replaced it by 2/3 yogourt, 1/3 sour cream, plus a bit of milk if that is too thick. Simple, fluffy, delicious.
Thanks!
I used a 1.5 cups balkan plain yogurt and 1/2 cup milk and they turned out fantastic.
Hello, I didnt use all of the batch is it okay if I refrigerate it for another 8 hours ?
Yes, totally OK.
What can we use instead of buttermilk?
How about half plain yogurt and half milk?
Do you have more nutrients facts
Is it 355 per waffle all the other recipes have the fact sheet.
Just put them on there!
Please, when you say in the overnight sponge ingredients, “1 cup of starter dough starter unfed”, are you referring to the collective discarded sourdough starter? That is what I would like to use…
Yes, either discard or starter itself.
What an unexpected treat! Just delicious.
Thanks Ric!
Wondering how I could adapt this to be dairy-free? I usually just make pancakes and waffles with almond milk and earth balance butter
Sub those, yes, and maybe add couple of flax eggs?
My family agrees that these are the best waffles ever … light, crispy, and a wonderful flavor. Thank you for the recipe!
Waffles aren’t a popular meal in this country so I don’t have much of a comparison but what a delicious and delightfully easy recipe .
Worthy use for left over starter
Thanks so much!
I mixed this, up to step 3, yesterday morning but will not have a chance to make it until “breakfast for dinner“ tonight. Can I refrigerate the mix now and add the eggs etc at dinner or just mix it all now and refrigerate until dinner? Thanks.
Refrigerate now, add remaining before dinner.
I’m re-naming this recipe ‘Covid Pantry Pancakes’ because I have gone far astray from your original waffle post. Somehow my starter thrived despite suffering neglect twice, inconsistent feeding, a wide variety of wheat flours, and overfeeding once. The waffles became pancakes due to waffle iron troubles. The recipe was delicious even though there I used whole milk +apple cider vinegar ‘buttermilk’ and forgot to add salt until half the pancakes were already devoured.
Thanks for sharing not only your recipes, but also your expertise and confidence, for me it makes all the difference.
Hi! How do you get 1 cup of unfed sourdough starter by using the recipe of starter that you posted? Wouldn’t that pretty much use up the entire batch of starter and leaving nothing for my sourdough bread making?
Great point. Some people have massive amounts of starter but I will update this recipe here in a few days to take this into account.
How much butter in the morning? 1/4-1/2 Cup? Stick?
Oops! Sorry, cup! I fixed it- thanks!
Can I use plain yogurt instead of buttermilk? That is in short supply at the moment.
Yes I think so. I would water it down. Maybe 1 cup and 1 cup water? Or you may need to eyeball it.
Wow, thanks for sharing a different way to use my sour dough starter! These waffles turned out great.