This is a recipe of my own, adapted from a similar recipe I use for pancakes, which was based on a simple sourdough crumpet recipe (starter, salt, sugar, soda), which itself made half decent pancakes, or "pan-fakes" as my wife named them. The added eggs and oil make them more like real waffles (or pancakes), but are more airy and crispy than similar ones made from milk and straight flour.
- 1 cup ripe 100% hydration sourdough starter
- 2 eggs
- 2 T sugar
- 2 T oil
- 2 T wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
Combine all ingredients except the baking soda in a 1-quart or larger bowl, and whisk to combine. The batter should be slightly runny but not watery; adjust with flour as needed.
When the waffle iron is ready, add the baking soda and stir. The acid in the starter will react with the baking soda and make the batter extremely bubbly, almost foamy. Scoop in about 1/2 cup or whatever's right for your iron, erring on the low side for the first waffle until you see how much it expands.
They are great fresh, but also freeze and toast well. And so light, you may need to have seconds...
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Hmm.. that's the first time I've seen a recipe call for baking soda with starter.. interesting idea.. I've book marked this and will have to give this a try.. any pictures you can share? Thanks..
King Arthur's recipe is widely used and also contains baking soda. Make sure you have a big enough bowl to contain the suddenly foaming batter;
https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-waffles-recipe
I use 10% rice flour for an extra crispy waffle. If you use butter make sure you clarify it before combining it in the batter to keep the the waffles will becoming soggy - use a high quality vegetable oil instead.
Wild-Yeast
Love that rice flour idea!
Thanks for the comments. I will take some pictures next time I make them.
I've seen the King Arthur recipe but have not tried it. There's a similar recipe on another sourdough site, in Top 3 Leftover starter recipes
The major difference I see is they add a significant quantity of extra liquid and flour (2 cups buttermilk, 2 cups flour) plus an overnight rise. I'm sure they are delicious that way, but I would guess it results in a very different flavor and texture.
I've used plain whole milk to thin my batter sometimes, but even a few tablespoons can mess with the acidity enough to throw off the rising power of the baking soda. I also get a finer, more cake-like grain to the waffles when milk is involved. Buttermilk is more acidic, so it probably doesn't affect rising as much, but I rarely have any on hand.
Did you use freshly-fed starter, or the old jar of discarded starter from the fridge? I've used mine (the discard jar) to make pancakes before and they ended up a bit flat, but I don't think I added any soda.
I almost always use mature or discarded starter for pancakes and waffles. The bubbles and rise come almost entirely from the baking soda, not the starter itself. You could probably use fresh-fed starter too, but it may not be acidic enough to react well with the soda.