I’m honestly not a huge bread person, but I bake a loaf of whole wheat sourdough for my husband most weeks, and I inevitably end up with extra starter from my sourdough feedings. I think pancakes are the traditional use, and they are indeed great! I tend to make waffles or crepes in bulk batches to freeze. Great for those mornings when my husband is in a rush and needs his hearty morning fix.
Sometimes we go crazy and dab them with kimchi or crème fraîche or homemade maple rye vinegar or all three for a feast of ferments!
I like to let my starter accumulate in the fridge for a while before making a big batch, but beware, this aging process makes for a seriously sour waffle. This recipe doubles beautifully and freezes like what Eggo dreams it could someday be. It’s suitable for savory or sweet toppings, too!
Recipe (Adapted from the Cardamom Sour-Cream Waffles in Gourmet, February 2008):
1 cup whole wheat flour
1.5t baking powder
3/4t baking soda
2t ground cardamom (if fresh ground, use 1.5t)
1/2t salt
1T sugar (optional)
1 cup extra starter
1T vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk (preferably whole)
3/4 cup kefir or 1 cup crème fraîche or kefir sour cream
3 eggs, lightly whisked
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- Combine first 6 (dry) ingredients.
- Combine the remaining (wet) ingredients in separate bowl
- Add dry ingredients to wet, being careful not to over mix
- Batter should be pretty thick. If it’s so thick that it’s more like dough, add a tablespoon or two more milk.
- Waffle it, according to your waffle maker instructions!
If eating right away, top with delicious things. If freezing, let them cool, then separate waffles with wax or parchment paper and freeze in ziplocs. A quick trip to the toaster oven does these guys good!
Janice says
Have you ever tried adding the 1 cup of whole wheat flour to the 1 cup of sourdough starter and leaving it to ferment overnight? Would that mess with the wet-to-dry ingredient ratio in the recipe?
Amanda says
Hi Janice,
I frequently make this for brunch parties, and in those cases, I just make the batter, cover and put it in the fridge overnight. It works great and is more sour, but other than that, no big differences between making it immediately and fridging it overnight.
Good luck!
Correne says
Wouldn’t the heat from your waffle iron kill the bacteria in the kefir?
Amanda says
Hi Correne,
Yes, this isn’t a probiotic food, and I wouldn’t have the kefir and sourdough cultures competing if I were somehow planning to eat this raw :-). Kefir or other fermented dairy is there for flavor, and of course, it’s other myriad health benefits.
Katie says
Wow, made these this morning and they are so incredibly good! Thanks so much for the recipe. Wow, this is a new family fave. My 9 month old daughter ate an entire half a waffle, she loved them!
Amanda says
Thank you! They’re a favorite at our house, too!
Petra says
I made these today for my picky husband and he loved them!!!! He stated that they were the best he ever had!!! Thank you so much for the recipe!!!!
Amanda says
That’s so great to hear! They’re still a go-to brunch recipe for us after all these years!
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