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When school starts, having ready to go meals is a must.
I like to have different homemade goodies in my freezer for breakfast or afternoon snacks. It's difficult to call what my boys eat after school an " after-school snack", since this is the biggest meal of their day. My boys are so hungry when I pick them up, it is a great way to feed them pretty much anything. Protein and a great amount of fat is a must along with fresh and fermented veggies as well as fruits make up what they eat daily.
But even for the start of my little one's day, what would it be to have a breakfast without pancakes, or waffles, right?
My boys are big on waffles, but not just any waffles.
The recipe I am sharing with you today is amazing! And I think it is the best!
Since we moved to the South, waffles have become a staple in our house. In all these years that I have been making regular waffles, I never saw my husband eat more than one at a time. Well these waffles are different, he can't stop eating them and they truly are exceptionally delectable! I promise you, this is the only waffle recipe you will ever need!
These hearty sourdough waffles are crunchy and golden on the outside, soft and fluffy in the middle. They pair easily with any toppings from sweet to savory making them perfect for any meal of the day.
Why sourdough waffles?
Eating healthy definitely has different meanings from person to person. What is good for one can harm others.
In my household I always follow the practice where fresh, seasonal and local is best and old fashioned preparation of food is worth it!
Eating waffles is healthy and a good thing as long as you use good quality ingredients. The wild yeast used in this recipe is beneficial to your health.
In the old days the key to baked goods was the sourdough starter. People enjoyed their gluten without any discomfort.
Please, follow this page to find out more about sourdough starter and how to make it, in case you don't have one.
The naturally occurring yeast completely changes the structure of the dough. It contains deactivating enzyme inhibitors and unlocks the minerals that phytic acid have locked away. The sourdough starter fills the dough with a healthy bacteria such as lactobacillus that remains in the baked goods and after the baking process supports healthy bacterial colonies that get into your body. Thus your body can actually enjoy the presence of vitamins B, zinc, C, and carotene in which the carotene converts to vitamin A.
What do I like about this recipe?
Besides being the best ever waffle recipe, you can make them ahead of time and they are easy to freeze.
I can't even imagine my freezer without breakfast prep ready to go waffles.
Generally speaking, mornings are always crazy busy, and having some items available for a ready-made meal is the best morning stress reliever.
Notes on the ingredients
The star of these waffles of course is the sourdough starter. The nice thing about this recipe is that you don't necessarily need to have ripe and active yeast like for bread. This recipe is pretty forgiving, and therefore your discard starter will do. Read here for more information on starter and what else you can do with discard starter.
Second and no less important is the ingredient Kefir, I always have kefir available in my fridge but if you don't, then use buttermilk or regular plain yogurt (not Greek).
Butter - good quality real butter as always, unsalted: Not like the Great Lakes type.
Flour - in this recipe I'm using a combo of all-purpose (organic) and whole wheat to give the waffles a heartier flavor and any whole wheat flour will work here. I'm now making my own flour by using this Mill. Nothing can beat the quality of freshly ground flour.
Eggs - everyone has eggs in the fridge, right? My chickens are extra generous lately.
Milk - dairy or nut milk is ok here. In the video I used whole milk from grass-fed cows.
Apple juice - you are welcome to use orange, or pineapple juice if you don't have apple. The reason why we need a little acid is because this recipe calls for only baking soda and therefore requires a little help to be activated. But don't worry if you don't have juice, use milk instead, just make sure that you don't skip the step when you are ready to add baking soda to the batter that you pour vinegar on top of it first for this is a must do.
Milk, dairy or nut milk is ok here. In the video I used whole milk from grass-fed cows.
Apple juice, you are welcome to use orange, or pineapple juice, which ever you have on hand. The reason why we need little acid its because we using only baking soda, and needs little help to activated. But don't worry if you don't have a juice, use milk instead, just make sure don't skip the step when you ready to add baking soda to the batter pouring vinegar on top of it is must.
Honey - any kind you like, I used this one. But for serving with waffles I prefer raw local honey.
My favorite toppings
As I mentioned earlier these waffles can suit everyone's taste buds from savory to sweet lovers.
These waffle delights make for a great breakfast, dinner or anything in between.
Here are few of my favorite toppings for sourdough waffles:
Maple syrup and butter: you never can go wrong with this American classic combo.
Homemade Nutella and slices of banana.
Grilled peaches, pineapple and creme fraiche.
Nut butter with slices of apples, pears, or figs.
A fried egg and bacon or with homemade breakfast sausage
Seasonal fruits or berries, with whipped cream, creme fraiche or Greek yogurt.
Honey, nuts and sour cream.
Granola and Greek yogurt
Jam and sour cream (favorite toppings from my childhood).
Savory cranberry sauce, creates a very festive meal during special times of the year.
And of course with fried chicken, a most popular Southern favorite.
Notes on freezing and reheating sourdough waffles
I usually make a quite sizable and impressive batch, (I have growing boys who greatly appreciate food, Lol). First, I stack them on a plate as they come off the waffle iron and let them reach room temperature. Then, I wrap two waffles at a time in a foil packet. Next, I stack all those packets into large freezable zip lock bags placing 2 foil packets per zip lock bag. After that, using a sharpie pen, I write what is being frozen and the date they were made. Finally, I place them in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months.
To reheat, I take out one packet and place the waffles in the toaster, which makes for one breakfast. If I have company, I lay multiple waffles on a baking sheet and place them in the oven at 350F for about 10-12 minutes.
Let's do it...
Prep time: 5 minutes
Inactive time: 8 hours
Active time: 35 minutes
Total time: 8 hours and 40 minutes
Author: Inna of innichkachef.com
Yield: 20 waffles
Ingredients for the sponge:
1cup sourdough starter
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups kefir
Ingredients for the batter:
4 large eggs
1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup apple juice (orange, pineapple juice or milk)
4 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup of melted unsalted butter
2 teaspoons baking soda (pour 2 teaspoons of vinegar over the soda before adding soda to the batter)
11/2 teaspoons Celtic salt
2 cups of whole wheat flour (I used homemade in the video)
Melted butter for the waffle iron
Raw local honey or maple syrup for serving
Butter or cream fraiche for serving
Directions:
For the sponge mix all the ingredients together.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let seat for 8-10 hours (in refrigerator is ok too, just make sure you let the sponge get back to room temperature before next step). I usually do overnight.
3. For the batter, to the same electric mixer bowl with hook attachment add eggs, melted butter, honey, juice, milk. Mix.
4. Add baking soda (pour 2 teaspoons of vinegar over the soda before adding soda to the batter), then salt and flour. Mix until everything incorporates together, don't overmix.
5. Pre-heat your waffle iron and brush it with melted butter, use 1/3-1/2 cup batter per one time. Stack all waffles on a platter. Cook for few minutes each waffle.
Enjoy immediately, or freeze (see note above).
I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon or Pinterest.
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