Sourdough Waffles

Today I remembered the waffle iron.

Oh, somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I had it. My dad is the waffle guru of our family, and very generously gave me his old waffle iron when he got a new one. I’ve no idea how old it is; it’s been a fixture of special occasion breakfasts for as long as I can remember. I put it in the hutch when I moved into my apartment, and ate toast for the better part of a year. Unforgivable, I know.

But today (or rather, yesterday, since the waffle batter had to sit overnight!) I pulled it out, dusted it off, and had a small waffle fest with one of my roommates. We are now full of euphoric plans to institute a weekly waffle day. We’ll explore offbeat combinations, experiment with savory options, come up with novel ways to enjoy leftovers.

Watch this space for more waffles.

But in the meantime, here is my tried-and-true recipe, a Sunday morning staple when I was growing up. The sourdough makes it light enough that you don’t need to beat the egg whites, but go ahead and do so if the spirit moves you. Pile it high with fruit and nuts, applesauce, jam, or maybe just a drizzle of maple syrup.

Sourdough Waffles

Adapted from The Pancake Handbook: Specialties from Bette’s Oceanview Diner. If you’re ever in Berkeley, go to Bette’s. Don’t let the Naugahyde scare you off.

• 1 C sourdough starter
• 1 C whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 C water
• 1/2 C yogurt
• 2 T butter, melted
• 2 T coconut sugar or maple syrup
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

The night before you want waffles, mix together the starter, flour, water, and yogurt. Cover the bowl and set it aside to rise overnight.

In the morning, mix in the remaining ingredients and let the batter rest for 10 minutes while you heat up your waffle iron. Ladle the batter onto the iron and cook the waffles; on my waffle iron, I give each one 2 minutes and 45 seconds, but you should experiment. Expect the first waffle to be less than photogenic.

4 servings (about 8 waffles).