Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough discard (see note to use active)
- 1 cup whole milk (room temperature preferred)
- 2 large eggs, separated (yolks and whites divided, room temperature preferred)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla extract until smooth and well mixed.
- Add butter: Slowly drizzle in the melted and cooled butter while continuously whisking. Some small clumps of butter are fine at this stage.
- Combine wet and dry: Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with dry ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold the mixtures together until just combined. The batter will be slightly lumpy; avoid overmixing to keep waffles tender.
- Whip egg whites: In a clean, dry bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, ensuring the mixture is light and airy.
- Fold egg whites into batter: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter with a spatula until fully incorporated, keeping the batter light.
- Rest batter and preheat: Allow the batter to rest for about 5 minutes while you preheat your waffle iron to ensure it’s heated evenly.
- Cook waffles: Once the waffle iron is hot, pour about 1 ¼ cups of batter into the center (adjust quantity for your iron). Cook until waffles are golden brown, approximately 4 minutes on a Belgian-style iron.
- Serve: Serve the waffles warm topped with butter, syrup, homemade whipped cream, or your favorite toppings for a delightful meal.
Notes
- Sourdough discard should ideally be active (recently fed) for best rise and flavor.
- Room temperature ingredients help create a smooth batter and improve texture.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter to keep waffles tender and fluffy.
- Whipping egg whites separately creates a light, airy texture in the waffles.
- Batter resting time allows leavening agents to activate and improves waffle fluffiness.
- Adjust cooking time based on your waffle iron’s specific heat and size.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes per waffle (total approx. 14 minutes including cook time for 4 waffles)
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
