Sourdough Waffles and Pancakes

These waffles are a BIG hit with my kids! I like to keep one fresh batch in the fridge and one spare batch in the freezer. In either case, I just pull one out, pop it in the toaster, and we’re in business! Then I like to slather it with a generous amount of butter, cut it into bite size pieces, top with some fresh maple syrup (or organic syrup when the budget is tight), and WALLA –breakfast is served! (*Note: Sometimes my kids suddenly turn on me and stop liking what they used to like. When that happens with this recipe, I switch to my Sort of Sourdough Pancake recipe or my Whole Wheat Pancake recipe.)

Ingredients

• 1 c. Sourdough Starter
• 2. c. Milk (Raw is best.)
• 4 c. Flour (Freshly ground for optimal nutrition so that the phytase that will break down phytic acid. I get my wheat berries here, but you can find some similar here too.)
• 2 Eggs (Preferably pastured)
• 6 T. (¾ stick) Melted Butter (You can add room temperature butter and it should mix alright though.)
• 2 T. Raw Honey  (You could add ¼ c. brown sugar, or just skip this ingredient – it just helps to counteract the flavor if you’re not used to sour. It’s best to buy local raw honey, but you can buy it here too.)
• 1 t. Real Salt (I buy my Real Salt in bulk here, you can buy a shaker here, or a refill pouch here.)
• 1 t. Baking Soda  (or Aluminum Free Baking Powder)
• 2 T. Cinnamon (Buy some here.)
• 2 T. Vanilla Extract (This vanilla would be best, but on our budget, I buy this.)
• 2 T. Coconut Oil (This coconut oil would be best, but on our budget, I buy this.)

Directions

Part 1: The Sponge (Mix and Let Sit Overnight…or for 8 Hours)

1. Dissolve the sourdough starter into the milk.
2. Mix in the flour.
3. Cover and let sit overnight or for 8 hours. (I like to do all of my food prep in the morning, so I make my overnight batter in the morning, then put it in the fridge during the day, and finally put it out on the counter before I go to bed so it’s ready the next morning.)
4. Note: Now, if you’re like me and you unintentionally leave it out for way more than 8 hours, YOU might still like it, but your picky eaters may not. So watch the time.

Part 2: The Final Batter (The Next Morning…or 8 Hours Later)

1. Start preheating your waffle iron.
2. Add the eggs, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and baking soda to the overnight mixture. (You can mix all of these ingredients in a separate bowl first if you want.)
3. I like to use beaters to mix everything together, but you could also use a spoon.
4. Coat the waffle iron with coconut oil. I just bought this waffle iron, and I love it. (I like my waffles square so that I can pop them in the toaster.)
5. Cook for about 6 minutes (or until the light turns green). You want them as lightly cooked as possible so that you can reheat them later in the toaster, and they won’t be too overdone.
   

   Cooking Waffles

6. *This also makes great pancake batter, so if you don’t have a waffle iron, just make pancakes instead.
7. Smother with butter and maple syrup then serve! (Find out why I like to smother everything with butter here.)
   

   Waffles Cut Up

*I adapted this recipe from The Fresh Loaf, which is a great source for all bread making.

Why Eat Sourdough? To learn more about why sourdough is the best way to get rid of phytic acid, check out my blog: Phytic Acid: The Anti-Nutrient That’s Slowly Killing You.