Overnight Yeasted Waffles

I can’t imagine a life without waffles. When I was a kid, sometimes my mom would make waffles for dinner on the weekends, and those were special times. Homemade waffles in and of themselves were pretty special, but for dinner?? Extra bonus special.

Waffles are comfort food. Warm and steaming, fresh out of the waffle-maker, a good waffle is crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside. All those little divots make the perfect vehicle for butter and real maple syrup. And these days, there’s often bananas and Nutella, as well.

Waffles are my go-to recipe when having friends over for brunch, but they aren’t just reserved for company in my house. I often make a huge batch on the weekends, and then freeze them to pull out on weekday mornings. I pop them in the toaster for a few minutes, and voila! So much better than Eggos. Also, because I make them myself, I get to sneak a little whole wheat flour in there, too.

Recently, I’ve started using this overnight yeasted waffle recipe. I used to make waffles that were leavened with baking powder or baking soda (or both). But this recipe makes the fluffiest, crispiest waffles I’ve ever made. It’s super easy, too. Put everything together before you go to bed, allow to rise overnight, finish the batter off in the morning, and then waffle it!

This recipe makes a lot, but don’t worry about it–they will disappear.

Overnight Yeasted Waffles

(recipe adapted from The Kitchn)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp yeast
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Method: 

1. The night before, place the warm water in a large bowl, and sprinkle the yeast over it. Allow it to sit and get happy for about 5 minutes, then stir to dissolve completely.
2. Combine the liquid ingredients together (melted butter, milk and vanilla) together with the salt and sugar, and mix well. Then add it to the yeast and water.
3. Add the flour and stir until there are no dry bits.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter overnight.
5. The next morning, beat the eggs together with the baking soda and add to the risen dough. Mix everything well.
6. Prepare waffles according to your waffle maker’s manufactures’ directions. I have a Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Maker, and they take about 7 minutes on medium heat in mine. I also like to brush the waffle plates with a little oil, even though they are non-stick, just for insurance.
7. A cleaning tip: I have the kind of waffle iron where the plates don’t detach to clean them. When I’m done making waffles, I wet a piece of paper towel, unplug the waffle iron, and lay the wet piece of paper towel down and close the waffle iron on top of it. This steams out most of the leftover crumbs and goo.
8. To freeze the leftovers, lay the waffles out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Separate layers of waffles with parchment or waxed paper, and freeze until solid. When frozen, store in a ziploc bag in the freezer.