Sourdough Raised Waffles (Overnight)

A sourdough-starter version of the overnight raised waffles. A spoonful of starter stands in for the commercial yeast, fermenting the batter on the counter overnight into the same impossibly light, crisp waffle — with a deeper sourdough tang. Mix at night, add eggs and baking soda in the morning.

IngredientsClear All

For the overnight batter

• 100g (about ½ cup) sourdough starter or discard
• ½ cup water, room temperature
• 2 cups milk, room temperature
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

To finish in the morning

• 2 large eggs
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda (see notes)

Instructions

1. Mix the batter (night before): Use a large bowl — the batter more than doubles overnight and will climb the sides. Stir the starter into the water and milk until dispersed. Add the melted butter, salt, sugar, and flour, and beat until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight (8-12 hours). By morning it will be bubbly, risen, and loosened.

2. Finish (morning): Just before cooking, beat in the eggs, then add the baking soda and stir until well mixed. The batter will be very thin and foamy — that thinness is what makes the waffles crisp. Loosen with a splash of milk if it seems thick.

3. Cook: Pour into a hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately, with butter and warm maple syrup.

Notes

How much starter: 100g is an inoculant that multiplies through the whole batter overnight — no need to raid your jar. Active, recently-fed starter ferments faster and rises more; cold discard works too but may want the longer end of the overnight window.

Don't warm the milk: Unlike the yeasted original, there's no yeast to bloom, so room-temperature milk and water are right. Warming would only over-speed the overnight ferment.

Keep the water (for crispness): The ½ cup water dissolved the yeast in the original, but it earns its place here too. Water — rather than milk — hydrates the flour without adding fat or sugar, which favors a crisp, crackly waffle and keeps the batter thin. Replacing it with milk (2½ cups milk total) would give a richer waffle that browns faster but is a little less crisp. The starter only adds ~50g of water back, so keep the water for the crispest result.

On the baking soda: Keep the ¼ teaspoon — sourdough is more acidic than a yeasted batter, so the soda neutralizes some tang and adds lift. Bump to ½ teaspoon if you want more rise and a milder tang.

Use a big bowl — really. Like the yeasted version, this batter is prone to overflowing overnight. Give it at least double the room you think it needs.

Make ahead / storage: The batter keeps several days covered in the fridge and is often even better on day two. Stir before using.

Source

Sourdough adaptation of the overnight raised waffles, from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham (1987)