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fork holding a piece of sourdough waffle covered in butter and syrup with the rest of the waffle on a white plate in the background
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Easy Overnight Sourdough Waffles

Learn how to make easy overnight Sourdough Waffles using my discard sponge method.
These are delicious sourdough waffles with a crisp outside and a soft and light interior.
In this post, learn about how you use sourdough starter discard, overnight fermentation, and tips to make a big batch of the best sourdough waffles.
Author: Jenny Prior

Ingredients

Sourdough Discard Sponge

  • 600 g water
  • 200 g sourdough starter discard about 1 cup of discard
  • 250 g whole wheat flour
  • 250 g all-purpose flour

Ingredients to add for the final dough:

  • 6 T. unsalted butter melted and cooled about 85g
  • 2 eggs separated
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar or applesauce
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1 t. vanilla extract
  • cinnamon to taste

Instructions

Making the overnight sponge for Sourdough Waffles

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, mix together the water, flour, and sourdough starter discard to create the overnight sponge with a paddle attachment in the stand mixer or with a sturdy whisk or large spoon if you're mixing by hand.
  • Cover the large bowl with plastic wrap, a cover, or a large plate and let it sit out overnight or 6 to 12 hours at room temperature. In the morning, follow the next steps to prepare your ingredients that will be added directly to the prepared sponge.

Ingredient Preparation for Sourdough Waffles

  • The next day, the sponge--the beginning of your sourdough waffle batter is ready to prepare with the remaining ingredients! Preheat your waffle maker so it is ready when the batter is made.
  • Start with melting the butter so that it has time to cool down before adding to the dough. Scrape the melted butter with a spatula into a heat safe carafe or bowl to help it cool down faster.
  • Add the sweetener (applesauce or brown sugar), salt, baking soda, and cinnamon to the sponge. Applesauce adds more liquid to the batter and creates an effect like oil that helps them have nice color and crisp on the outside.
  • Separate the eggs. Place the egg whites in a separate mixing bowl and add the egg yolks to the sponge. Beat the egg whites until soft white peaks form.

Final mix for Sourdough Waffles

  • Mix egg yolks, applesauce (or brown sugar), salt, baking soda, and cinnamon until they are fully incorporated into the sourdough discard sponge.
  • Slowly stir in the butter until is completely added and combined.
  • Finally, fold in the egg whites.

Bake Sourdough Waffles

  • Use a 1/4 cup scoop to add batter to the hot waffle iron. Use enough batter to coat the center of the waffle iron with about 1/2-1 inch around outside edge to allow batter to spread once waffle maker is closed. If batter seems thick spread it out a bit with scoop before closing.
  • Once your waffle maker indicates the waffle is baked, remove carefully with a fork to a serving plate.
  • Repeat until all batter is used.
  • Enjoy these sourdough waffles with some butter and maple syrup, jam, or other favorite toppings! They are best enjoyed hot and fresh!

Notes

  • Dairy-free modification: These waffles can be easily adapted for dairy-free waffles by replacing the melted butter with melted coconut oil.
  • Vegan modification: Sourdough waffles are easy to convert to vegan also. Swap the melted butter for coconut oil or neutral oil and use an additional 1/4 cup applesauce to replace the eggs.
  • This recipe can be used to make pancakes or sheetpan pancakes.
Optional additions:
Fresh berries (blueberries are one of my favorites)
Citrus zest, zest combined with some berries is an amazing combination
Chocolate chips
Sautéed apples
Pumpkin puree and spices
see more ideas in post