A light, fluffy waffle. Just the right amount of sweet and savory. Perfect for a lazy morning breakfast or for brunch with friends.
A couple of Saturdays ago, my friend and I went to a bread making class at the extension. While I've been baking bread for a number of years now, I have always steered clear of sourdough breads. Some sourdoughs are just fine, but others are a bit on the bitter side. Not everyone can make a good sourdough and I have had enough sourdough breads I haven't loved that I have always veered away from making them.
This same friend and I were in San Francisco this past summer where we made a visit to Boudin Bakery. We watched as they made hundreds of bread loaves. We ate the chowder in the fresh bread bowl. And we left feeling warm and happy.
So, when they said one of things we would be going over at the class was sourdough, I was actually a bit excited. We made sourdough bread and sourdough waffles.
The waffles are a great place to start if you are new to sourdough. They are light, fluffy, and don't have a sour taste. They do take a bit of planning, but they are definitely worth it. We made them again on Saturday for some friends, and they were a great hit!
If you can get a well trusted starter, I would recommend that. If you can't, I've included a recipe for making a sourdough starter at the bottom of the recipe.
One thing to know is that when making sourdough, don't use a metal pan or bowl as it will react with the dough. same for what you store your starter in.
6-8 hours before making the waffles:
For the sponge: add 2 cups warm water and 2 cups flour to the starter. Set a lid loosely on the bowl, making sure not to seal it. Let grow at room temperature for 6-8 hours.
Remove half a cup of the sponge and store in your fridge to keep your starter.
For the waffles:
Remaining sponge
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup cooking oil (I use vegetable)
Combine above ingredients and stir until completely combined. Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder in one 1 tablespoon warm water. Fold into the dough. Cook in waffle maker. Enjoy!
For a sourdough starter
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast.
In a quart size bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup water. Add the remaining water and flour and mix well. Put in a warm place for 6-8 hours.
Set aside ½ cup of the starter and store in the fridge. The remaining starter can be used for sourdough recipes immediately.
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