Sourdough Waffles Recipe

By
Pete Scherer
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Pete Scherer
Pete Scherer is a cook and baker with a decade of experience across many facets of the Southern California food scene.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/8/21
Sourdough Waffles

The Spruce / Christine Ma

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Total: 22 mins
Servings: 3 servings
Yield: 3 waffles

These sourdough waffles are a great way to make use of your discarded sourdough starter. Plus, they have a pleasant tang that's reminiscent of buttermilk and goes perfectly with breakfast. Whip up a batch of these and weekend brunch won’t ever be the same again.

These waffles are incredibly simple to make. Because they are sourdough, they taste delicious with just butter and syrup. You can also dress them up with mix-ins like chocolate chips, blueberries, and nuts—this batter can handle it all.

If you are like most home bread bakers, you probably do not discard this much sourdough starter in one feeding. It is better, in fact, to build up your collection of discarded starter over a few days. When you do a feeding, put your discard into a storage container with a lid and put it in the refrigerator. Add to it every time you do a feeding, and pretty soon you will have enough to make these waffles. Refrigerated starter discard gets more tangy with time, so doing it this way builds a lot of flavor into this waffle batter.

The only problem with waffles is that you can only make one at a time. If you must wait for your fellow diners, don't worry. The waffles will stay fresh in the 200 F oven while the others cook.

Ingredients

  • 6 3/4 ounces (190 grams) sourdough starter

  • 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) milk

  • 2 large eggs

  • 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Sourdough Waffles ingredients

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. Preheat your waffle iron to medium or dark and preheat your oven to 200 F.

    waffle iron

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, milk, and eggs until completely incorporated.

    whisk together the sourdough starter, milk, and eggs in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

    mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Add the melted butter and mix until just incorporated.

    waffle batter in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  6. Ladle onto the preheated waffle iron. Cook for approximately 4 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Times will vary depending on your specific waffle iron.

    waffle in a waffle iron

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  7. Keep the first waffles warm in the oven while you cook the rest of the batter. When all of the waffles are done, remove from oven and serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days and heat before serving.

    Sourdough Waffles with butter on a plate

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Recipe Variations

These waffles make a great stand-alone breakfast and they are fantastic as part of a big brunch spread. They also hold up well under extra toppings:

  • Top with berries and whipped cream.
  • Use as the bread element of a breakfast sandwich.
  • Top with fried chicken and serve with syrup and hot sauce. The sourdough flavor of these waffles pairs beautifully with the chicken.
  • Or go full savory, with toppings like gravy, cheese, bacon, and eggs.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
387 Calories
10g Fat
62g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories 387
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 141mg 47%
Sodium 998mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 62g 22%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 210mg 16%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 206mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)