Yeasted waffles (risen waffles)

Until I started searching, I had no clue that people put yeast in waffles. Yeast was one of those scary ingredients that I didn't mess with for a long time. I had a bad first experience making bread with old yeast that ended up not activating, and it took several years before I felt like I could trust it again. I decided to take the risk this past weekend. Twice!

Having a waffle iron really makes one want to eat waffles for breakfast all the time. Having friends over for brunch is the perfect excuse to bust out this iron so that it can fulfill its destiny of making crispy chewy waffles to be enjoyed by many. Having a brother who also loves waffles is another reason to make the batter twice in one weekend.

The batter is made the night before and then left covered with plastic wrap on the countertop overnight. If that makes you nervous, I think you can put the batter in the fridge, but other food bloggers who write about this recipe (and there are dozens) say that it will affect the flavor of the waffles. Prepare yourself for the yeasty smell. It's kinda sour and gross, like beer and milk have been sitting out on your counter overnight. Tasty, right? Do NOT let this put you off.

After mixing up the batter (minus the eggs and baking soda) I left it to sit overnight. The next morning, I looked (and smelled) the batter and almost threw it all out.

Gross, right?

But I decided to push past it and add the eggs and baking soda. Once I'd incorporated these ingredients into the scary-looking batter, it looked like smooth, ready-to-be-waffled batter that normal humans could eat without getting violently ill.

These are the best waffles I've even eaten. Seriously. I thought I'd forever be disappointed by waffles that weren't crunchy and didn't reheat well in the toaster oven. These are crunchy on the outside and a little chewy and have a nice malty flavor.

These waffles are off the chain, y'all! Try them out!

Risen waffles
(made 6 waffles in my iron--yours may be different)
from Marian Cunningham's The Breakfast Book via The Smitten Kitchen

The night before you plan to eat the waffles, pour 1/2 cup warm water (I used warm water from the tap) into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle 1 packet (1/4 oz = 7 grams) active dry yeast over the water. Let the yeast sit in the water for 15 minutes, where it will dissolve and foam a little.  While waiting for the yeast, warm 2 cups whole milk and 1 stick (4 oz = 115 grams) unsalted butter in a saucepan. You want the milk lukewarm, tepid even. In a small bowl, whisk 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp white sugar, and 2 cups all-purpose flour together. Pour the flour into the yeast mixture and then pour the (not hot!) milk and butter over that. Stir it all together, making sure you have no lumps (this isn't pancake batter, you want it smooth!) then place plastic wrap over the bowl. Let the bowl sit on the cool counter (or in the fridge, I guess) overnight. The other food bloggers say the batter will double in size, but mine . . . didn't. So make sure you use a bowl that can handle that, just in case you're luckier than I.

When the batter has rested for 8-12 hours, heat up your waffle iron and prepare yourself for delight. The batter will smell yeasty and weird and it'll look kinda gross, but push past that! It'll be worth it. Add 1/4 tsp baking soda and crack two eggs into the batter. Stir them around until everything is nicely blended. It'll look like proper batter, if a bit thin.

Get cooking spray and treat your now hot waffle iron with it. Pour some batter onto the iron--the other food bloggers say to pour less than you might normally use, but I didn't find this to be the case. You do you and I'm sure you'll learn as you go. I cooked mine for 6 minutes to achieve maximum golden, crispy perfection. Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup. Some people like powdered sugar and some people do jam. I'm going to try not to badmouth them, because I'm trying not to be judgmental. After all, some people juggle geese!*

You can freeze these and then heat them up in your toaster. They will be crispy and delicious.


*I don't know anyone who juggles geese, but you get points if you get the reference.