Culinary School For The Rest Of Us

Sourdough waffles are one of my favorite ways to utilize my Poolish starter outside of making bread. The starter will give your waffles an immense amount of flavor and character, but it also does something fascinating with the texture. When the baking soda is added to the sourdough waffle batter, the acid in the sourdough reacts with the alkaline of the baking soda, causing your batter to froth. This foamy batter coupled with the live yeast cultures in your starter will give you one of the lightest and most flavorful waffles you’ve ever had!

Sourdough Waffle Recipe

*Yields about 6-8 waffles depending on size

• 250g Sourdough Starter (Poolish)
• 200g All Purpose Flour
• 50g Whole Wheat Flour
• 250g Liquid (Buttermilk, Water, Whole Milk, etc)
• 60g Butter, melted
• 15g Kosher Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 7g/1 Tbs Vanilla
• 15g Sugar
• 8g/1 Tbs Baking Soda

1. The night before, mix starter, flour and liquid together with a whisk. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand overnight. (Careful, it will almost triple in volume, so make sure whatever bowl or container you use is big enough to accommodate).
2. The next day, mix in melted butter, salt, eggs, vanilla and sugar. Whisk thoroughly to combine.
3. Right before making the waffles, mix in baking soda. The acid in the sourdough batter and the alkaline in the baking soda will create a reaction that will cause the batter to froth and foam. Once foaming begins, it’s time to cook!
4. Ladle batter into a hot waffle iron that has been sprayed with pan release. Cooking times and batter amounts will vary depending on the size and type of waffle iron you use. Here’s the waffle iron that I use and love.

Apple-Pecan Syrup

Here’s a nice little syrup that goes great with the sourdough waffle recipe above. Of course a good Vermont or Canadian Maple syrup will do the trick, but if you’re feeling a little ambitious, the following recipe will help take your breakfast to the next level.

• 57g/2 oz Whole Butter
• 224g/8 oz Pecan Halves
• 2 Apples, Cored and Sliced
• 14g/2 Tbl Sugar
• 60ml/2 oz Brandy or Cognac
• 480ml/2 Cups Maple Syrup
• Dash Cinnamon
• 1 Bunch Chives, Minced
• Salt and Pepper To Taste

1. Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add pecan halves and toast until they start to release their nutty aroma.
3. Add apple slices and sugar, and continue to saute until the apples start to caramelize.
4. Deglaze with brandy or cognac and reduce moisture until the pan is almost dry (add your brandy or cognac off the flame, and always have a lid nearby to cover the pan in case the flame gets out of control).
5. Add maple syrup, bring to a simmer, and season with cinnamon, chives, salt and pepper.
6. Serve over waffles or pancakes while still hot.

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