Raised Waffles

Marion Cunningham's well-regarded recipe for raised waffles isn't the kind of thing you can decide spontaneously to make one lazy Sunday morning. That's because, unlike most waffle recipes, it requires yeast. And as with any recipe that includes yeast, time must be set aside for it to do its thing.



And what a thing it does. These are probably the best waffles I've ever had, light, crisp, ever so slightly salty with a lovely yeasty flavor, they go incredibly well with maple syrup. Plus, they make your house smell like baking bread while they cook in the waffle iron.

The good news is, it's easy to make the batter. In the morning you'll be excited to wake up and make these waffles, and all you need to do is add eggs and some baking soda. If you don't use all the batter, it keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days.



These waffles are so good, in fact, that I am finally ready to buy a new waffle iron -- one that is deserving of them. I don't typically make a lot of waffles, so I've always made do with the Black & Decker duo griddle/waffle iron that I have, but while the griddle panels work great for pancakes, the waffle panels make really thin waffles. I don't usually mind, but I think with this recipe I'd want a really hefty waffle to sink my teeth into. So if you're not a fan of thin waffles, don't judge raised waffles too harshly based on my photo. But regardless, whatever they look like, it doesn't change how wonderful they taste.

One evening when you have a few minutes and have time to make/eat waffles the next morning, give these yeasty waffles a try. I can't imagine you'll regret it.

Raised Waffles (from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham)

Makes about 8 waffles
 
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 cups milk, warmed
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Method

1. Use a rather large mixing bowl -- the batter will rise to double its original volume. Put the water in the mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes, until yeast dissolves.
2. Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar and flour to the yeast and beat until smooth and blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.
3. Just before cooking the waffles, beat in the eggs, add the baking soda and stir until well mixed. The batter will be very thin. Cook on a very hot waffle iron (use about 1/3 cup batter per grid). Bake until the waffles are golden and crisp to the touch.

Note: If there is any leftover batter, store in a covered container in the refrigerator. It will keep for several days.