My delicious sourdough waffles are a quick breakfast or brunch idea! You can use a ripe sourdough starter or sourdough discard to add a subtle tang and depth of flavor to these fluffy waffles. Add a glug of maple syrup and a pat of butter or some fresh fruit, and breakfast is served!
The waffle batter comes together in a snap and only needs 5 minutes to rest before cooking. But you can also let the batter ferment overnight for a stronger sourdough flavor. I share exactly how to do this in the post. For more waffle recipes, try my Belgian waffles, classic waffle recipe, or gingerbread waffles.
Ingredients
Flour — all-purpose flour is perfect for crisp, fluffy waffles.
Sugar — since waffles are usually served with syrup, you need just a little granulated sugar, or you risk the waffles being too sweet. This added sugar helps with flavor and browning.
Baking soda — baking soda is a leavening agent that helps the waffles rise and turn out fluffy.
Salt — salt brings out the flavors in the sourdough waffle recipe.
Buttermilk or milk — milk adds richness and gives the batter the right consistency. Use buttermilk for extra tanginess or whole milk for a more classic flavor.
Sourdough starter — you need either ripe sourdough starter or sourdough discard that is up to a week old.
Eggs — Use room-temperature eggs so they are incorporated more easily into the batter. If you don’t have time to set them out, soak them in warm water for 5 minutes before cracking them.
Butter — melted butter adds more richness and buttery flavor and helps the waffles crisp up on the outside.
How To Make Sourdough Waffles
1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and sourdough starter.
3. Add the eggs and whisk.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together a few times. There should still be dry spots of flour. Don’t try to incorporate all the flour.
5. Add the melted butter and gently stir until combined. The batter will be lumpy. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes while the waffle iron preheats.
6. Once the waffle iron has heated up, grease it with melted butter or nonstick spray. Add about ⅓ cup of batter to each waffle section of the hot waffle iron, or the amount suggested for your particular waffle iron. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the sourdough waffles are golden brown. Place the waffles on a wire rack to cool slightly, or keep them warm in a 200°F oven.
Using Sourdough Discard
For the best results, use ripe sourdough starter (also called active starter) that was fed with water and flour 4 to 12 hours before making the waffles. This should be a bubbly sourdough starter that has a tangy smell; this is how you know it’s active and ready to use.
If you have leftover starter from making sourdough bread, use it in this recipe to make sourdough discard waffles! Sourdough starter discard works great as long as it has only been refrigerated for up to 1 week. If it’s much older, it can start to taste too sour or unpleasant.
This recipe uses a sourdough starter that has 100% hydration (meaning that it is fed with an equal amount of water and flour). If your starter is fed with more or less water, you may need to adjust the amount of buttermilk in the recipe for the batter to reach the right consistency.
Can I Chill The Batter Overnight?
Yes! To make this sourdough waffle batter the night before, stir together the sourdough starter, buttermilk, flour, and sugar. Cover, and let sit at room temperature (about 72°F) overnight or for 12 hours to ferment. Before cooking, stir in the eggs, butter, salt, and baking soda. Make the sourdough waffles as directed in step 4.
Variations
- Use whole wheat flour: You can use all whole wheat flour or replace part of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat to make sourdough waffles. Increase the milk by 1 tablespoon per ½ cup of whole wheat flour used.
- Add mix-ins: Add up to ½ cup of mini chocolate chips, blueberries, or chopped nuts (toasted pecans and toasted walnuts are amazing in these waffles!).
- Add spices: 1 teaspoon of cinnamon or ¼ – ½ teaspoon of ground cardamom or nutmeg taste incredible in waffles. Add them to the large bowl with the other dry ingredients in step 1.
- Add vanilla: You can add up to 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the batter along with the eggs.
How To Serve
Load up your sourdough waffles with your favorite toppings like cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, butter or honey butter, fresh berries, whipped cream, strawberry jam, or fried apples.
Or, go with savory toppings like candied bacon, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce.
How To Store And Reheat
Refrigerating: Store completely cooled waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Stack room temperature sourdough waffles with a sheet of parchment paper between each one and freeze in a freezer bag or container for up to 3 months.
Reheating: You can quickly reheat these waffles in the microwave for 30 seconds (this will soften them). For crispy waffles, toast them on a low setting in a toaster or reheat them in a toaster oven or air fryer at 350°F for 3 to 5 minutes.
Make A Pantry Mix
For a homemade waffle mix, whisk together the dry ingredients and store the mixture in a jar or airtight container. When you feel like a batch of sourdough waffles, simply whisk together the wet ingredients, add the dry mix, and stir. Cook the waffles as directed in step 4.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Weigh the flour. Using a kitchen scale to weigh the flour is the most accurate way to measure it. If you don’t have a scale, fluff the flour in its container, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level off the top with a knife.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Only mix until the wet ingredients and dry ingredients are just incorporated. Small lumps are normal and actually better to have, as they produce fluffier waffles.
- How to keep waffles crisp: Don’t pile the cooked waffles on a plate or platter, as the steam they release will cause them to become soft. Instead, to keep the waffles crispy, place them on a wire rack in a single layer. You can also keep them warm by placing the wire rack on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven.
- Let the waffle iron reheat between waffles. If the waffle maker is only warm, the waffles will not crisp up. It needs to be very hot, so give it about 30 seconds between each waffle so it can heat up again.
Frequently Asked Questions
This batter can also be used to make pancakes. Drop ¼ to ⅓ cup of the batter onto a preheated, greased pancake griddle or nonstick skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the edges look dry and the bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes. Or try my sourdough pancakes recipe instead!
This recipe is for a standard, round waffle maker. If you have a Belgian waffle maker, you can use it, but you will need to add more batter (½ to ⅔ cup). Make your first waffle as a test and adjust the amount of batter accordingly.
Yes, you can use cold discard straight from the fridge; no need to let it come to room temperature. It might be a little thicker and take a little more effort to whisk it with the buttermilk, but it will incorporate with the other ingredients just fine.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this sourdough waffles recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Sourdough Waffles Recipe
Equipment
- Nonstick cooking spray
Ingredients
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (180g)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk or whole milk (240mL)
- 1 cup sourdough starter ripe or discard (240g)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly (56g)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sourdough starter, and eggs.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together a few times. (There should still be dry spots of flour.) Add the butter and gently stir until combined. (The batter should be lumpy). Set aside for 5 minutes while the waffle iron preheats.
- Once ready, grease the waffle iron with more melted butter or nonstick spray. Work in batches to add about ⅓ cup of batter to each waffle section of the iron (or the amount suggested for your particular waffle iron). Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the waffles are golden brown. Place the waffles on a wire rack to cool slightly, or hold warm in a 200°F oven.
- Serve warm with butter, maple syrup, or fresh berries.
Notes
- Weigh the flour. Using a kitchen scale to weigh the flour is the most accurate way to measure it. If you don’t have a scale, fluff the flour in its container, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level off the top with a knife.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. Only mix until the wet ingredients and dry ingredients are just incorporated. Small lumps are normal and actually better to have, as they produce fluffier waffles.
- How to keep waffles crisp: Don’t pile the cooked waffles on a plate or platter, as the steam they release will cause them to become soft. Instead, to keep the waffles crispy, place them on a wire rack in a single layer. You can also keep them warm by placing the wire rack on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven.
- Let the waffle iron reheat between waffles. If the waffle maker is only warm, the waffles will not crisp up. It needs to be very hot, so give it about 30 seconds between each waffle so it can heat up again.
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