perfectly golden brown, crispy, fluffy Sourdough Waffles! These delicious waffles are made with sourdough discard and are perfect for a really special weekend breakfast or holiday brunch
Waffles and French Toast are without question my family’s favorite breakfast or brunch. They’re usually reserved for a special birthday, a holiday brunch, or someone’s birthday. However, these Fluffy Sourdough Waffles are so delicious that you’ll even be tempted to make them on a weekday morning, or my kids’ favorite, “Breakfast for Dinner!”
To say that I have been trying to nail down the perfect waffle recipes for years, is an understatement.
In my mind, really great homemade waffles had to meet a very specific criteria: crispy exterior, unmistakably golden brown, tender and soft interior, light texture (not stodgy). Seems simple enough, right? Wrong.
It’s all about the perfect proportions of liquid to dry ingredients, plus perfectly calculated leavening agents, and adding sourdough starter to the mix!
I’m very proud to finally share with you this incredibly delicious Homemade Sourdough Waffle Recipe that has become my household’s go-to waffle recipe! Hope you love them as much as we do!
Ingredients You’ll Need
all purpose flour – I love using King Arthur Baking Company Flour for my bakes and recipes. This brand is readily available in most grocery stores, employee owned company, and produces really consistent results.
baking powder – this is a leavening agent, which means that it is going to help our waffles rise up and get puffy and light. Little science for baking powder reacts with heat, so the second the waffle batter hits the hot waffle iron, the powder is activated.
baking soda – This recipe also calls for a small amount of baking soda – another leavening agent that reacts with the acid from the yogurt and sourdough starter.
kosher salt – every sweet recipes needs a bit of salt to balance out the flavors. Salt really enhances flavors, and my favorite to use is Morton’s kosher salt. If you’re using Diamond Crystal brand, add an additional 1/4 teaspoon.
sourdough starter discard – this waffle recipe has been formulated with sourdough starter. If you don’t have a sourdough starter this isn’t the recipe for you. I will share a non-sourdough recipe soon! You can use sourdough discard from a starter that has been *recently* fed in the past week. You don’t want to use sourdough that has been neglected in the back of the fridge for 3 months. That being said, you can also use active fed sourdough starter – it will only make the waffles more fluffy and delicious.
milk – feel free to use dairy milk, nut milk, oats ilk ,or even buttermilk here.
granulated sugar – there are only a couple of tablespoons of sugar in this recipe, so they’re very sweet, but just *sweet enough.* You can also use brown sugar if you prefer.
yogurt – The acid from he yogurt makes these Fluffy Sourdough Waffles very tender and soft on the inside. Feel free to use whole milk or reduced fat plain yogurt, or Greek yogurt.
melted butter – the butter adds the perfect richness to these waffles. Both unsalted or salted butter work well here.
How to make Sourdough Waffles
Preheat the waffle iron on the highest heat setting.
In a medium size bowl, combine the unbleached all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk well to combine.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough discard (unfed sourdough starter), milk, granulated sugar, yogurt, egg. Whisk very well to combine, especially to ensure that the sourdough discard is thoroughly incorporated.
Slowly stream in the melted butter into the wet ingredients, whisking while you pour, until the butter is well mixed in.
Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Whisk gently until just combined, leaving just a few lumps in the batter.
Use nonstick cooking spray to coat the top and bottom plates of the waffles iron. Each waffle iron is different, but pour roughly ¼ cup of batter into each section of the waffle iron. Cook for 4 minutes until the waffles are golden brown, and crispy.
Serve the waffles with plenty of soft salted butter, real maple syrup, and berries.
Tools I use
waffle iron – lots of options, but this is my favorite one! I like a square waffle, removable plates that can be washed is a must, and I like a beeping timer so you don’t forget!
stainless steel mixing bowl – A great set of stainless steel mixing bowls is essential in any working kitchen. You’ll use them everyday, all day!
Wire Whisk – whisking the waffle batter by hand is important, because it ensures that you will over-mix the batter. See more notes about this below.
Rubber Spatula – so many spatulas to choose from, but my favorite are these GIR brand spatulas! They have the perfect bend, and are easy to clean.
Waffle Making Tips and Tricks
- Don’t over fill your waffle iron! Always leave about 1/2 inch border to the edge of the waffle plate. This will allow your waffle batter to spread out, and will prevent any terribly messy spillage.
- Mix your ingredients batter until JUST combined. You really don’t want to over-mix the waffle batter because the waffles will end up being chewy and a little tough.
- Preheat you waffle iron on highest setting. We want these waffles to cook fast and HOT. This will ensure a crispy golden brown crust, and soft/tender interior.
- If you’re making waffles for a crowd, preheat your oven to 200 degrees F, and line a rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack. Place the baking sheet in the warm oven. As you finish cooking the waffles, place them on the rack on baking sheet to stay warm. The wire rack will allow air to circulate around the waffles so they don’t get soggy. Never Eat Soggy Waffles! (I’m so sorry, I couldn’t help myself!)
Substitutions
If you’d like to substitute whole grain flour for a portion of the flour, sub in 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour. This will add a nice wholesome nuttiness to the batter, without making the batter too dense and heavy.
How to Store Sourdough Waffles
I rarely have any leftover waffles, but in the event that all of these waffles don’t get gobbled up, place leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
To reheat: place the frozen/chilled waffles directly in the toaster, and toast for 2-3 minutes until crispy and hot. Enjoy!
If you loved these delicious Fluffy Sourdough Waffles, I would truly appreciate it so much if you would give a star review and comment! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram @lions.bread. It always makes my day seeing your creations!
xo – LeAnne
THE RECIPE
Fluffy Sourdough Discard Waffles
perfectly golden brown, crispy, light sourdough waffles! These Fluffy sourdough discard waffles are perfect for a special weekend breakfast or brunch
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 240g
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder 10g
- 1 teaspoon baking soda 4g
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 5g
- 1 cup sourdough starter discard, or unfed starter 225g
- 1 ¼ cup milk - dairy or nut/oat milk 265g
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g
- ⅓ cup yogurt, or Greek yogurt 73g
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted 43g
Instructions
Preheat the waffle iron on the highest heat setting.
In a medium size bowl, combine the unbleached all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. Whisk well to combine.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough discard (unfed sourdough starter), milk, granulated sugar, yogurt, egg. Whisk very well to combine, especially to ensure that the sourdough discard is thoroughly incorporated.
Slowly stream in the melted butter into the wet ingredients, whisking while you pour, until the butter is well mixed in.
Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Whisk gently until just combined, leaving just a few lumps in the batter.
Use nonstick cooking spray to coat the top and bottom plates of the waffles iron. Each waffle iron is different, but pour roughly ¼ cup of batter into each section of the waffle iron. Cook for 4 minutes until the waffles are golden brown, and crispy.
Serve the waffles with plenty of soft salted butter, real maple syrup, and berries.
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