Sourdough Waffles Recipe: How to Make Sourdough Waffles

Sourdough waffles are a traditional iron-baked breakfast dish with a sourdough starter added to the batter for a heartier result. The fermented sourdough starter—typically for bread making—contains bacteria and acids that add a layer of tanginess to the dish. Serve sourdough waffles with sweet toppings like maple syrup, butter, fruits, and whipped cream, or with savory add-ons like fried chicken.

Both types of waffles count sourdough starter as a key ingredient, which yields a mildly tangier result than traditional batter. However, the textures and tastes vary slightly depending on whether the cook uses an active, bubbling starter or inactive discard.

Bread bakers add freshly fed sourdough starter to their dough to leaven and flavor it. In the days leading up to baking, they will feed the sourdough starter until it rises and falls consistently after each feeding, and produces a pleasantly sour aroma, indicating activity. When the starter is active, the discarding process starts, which involves removing all but one tablespoon of active starter from the mixture. Cooks store the discard in a different container and refrigerate it for another use, such as making bread, waffles, pancakes, and other baked goods.

Waffles don’t need to rise significantly. Adding a less active, unfed sourdough discard—aided by a bit of additional leavener (like baking powder)—to the batter will impart a tangy flavor while still enabling the waffles to rise. Comparatively, sourdough waffles made with a freshly fed active starter have a more assertive sour taste and puffier texture.

Whether it’s your first time cooking with a sourdough starter or you’re well-versed in fermented baked goods, follow these tips to make the best waffles possible.

1. 1. Experiment with additions. Add sweetness to your waffle batter with chocolate chips, fresh fruit (like blueberries and bananas), and crushed nuts (like pecans, walnuts, or macadamia nuts). Cover these sweet waffles in fruit jam, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or chocolate syrup. Savory additions like pepper jack cheese and jalapeños add some heat to the batter.
2. 2. Go whole-grain. Make an extra-hearty starter for your waffles by swapping out the all-purpose flour for whole-wheat flour.
3. 3. Keep the waffles warm. If you’re making waffles for a crowd, keep the cooked ones warm in the oven as you finish using the remaining batter. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, and place the hot waffles directly onto one of the wire racks until you’re ready to serve them.
4. 4. Store properly. Store uncooked sourdough waffle batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze leftover cooked waffles by letting them cool to room temperature and storing them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, refrigerate cooked waffles in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat the waffles in the toaster or toaster oven.
5. 5. Make sourdough pancakes. Use this classic batter recipe to make tasty sourdough pancakes. Simply cook the sourdough batter on a lightly greased griddle until golden brown on both sides.