Overnight Pumpkin Spice Waffles
The overnight process may seem intimidating, but these waffles are not complicated. They are our fall weekend go-to, not just for special occasions.There are just a few stages: mixing the sponge, rest, making the batter, and cooking the waffles.Follow the steps outlined below.This batch makes approximately 18-20 large Belgian size waffles
Servings: 18 waffles
Ingredients
Overnight Sponge:
- 200 g 3/4 cup sourdough discard
- 600 g 2 and 1/2 cup water
- 500 g 3 and 1/3 cup flour (use all-purpose or a half and half blend of all-purpose and whole wheat flour)*
Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Waffles
- 6 T. unsalted butter
- 270 g 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 c. arrowroot powder or cornstarch optional but helps them become more crisp
- 30 g 2 T. and 1 t. brown sugar
- 1 t. salt
- 1 t. baking soda
- 2 t. vanilla extract
- 1 T. cinnamon powder
- 4 t. 1 T. 1 t. ground ginger
- 1 t. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 t. clove
- 4 eggs separated
Instructions
Mixing the Overnight Sourdough Discard Sponge
- 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.
Waffle Morning: Making the Batter
- Preheat the waffle maker.
- On the next morning, melt the butter first and let it cool.
- Add the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and dry ingredients. Then, mix well.
- Separate the eggs. Add the egg yolks to the batter and place the egg whites in a separate bowl to whip them until they become white with soft peaks.
- Once the melted butter has cooled to just warm (less than 90 degrees F), slowly add the butter to the batter and mix until completely combined.
- Finally, fold in the whipped egg whites.
Cooking the Waffles
- Once the sourdough pumpkin waffle batter is complete, scoop the batter into the hot waffle iron and cook according to the waffle maker directions.
- For my Belgian waffle maker, I add about 1/2 cup of batter using two scoops from my favorite 1/4-cup Stainless Steel Cookie Scoop.
- Place the waffles on a serving plate.
- These are really fluffy, light waffles so they are best enjoyed warm.
Notes
Note: You can substitute 2 1/2 T. pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, ginger, and clove, but I recommend still adding the fresh grated nutmeg for the best flavor.
Substitutions: For a dairy-free version, you can use coconut oil or a neutral flavored oil in place of the butter, decrease oil to 1/3 cup. If you don't have eggs, applesauce can be substituted but will impact the flavor and texture. Maple syrup can be substituted for the brown sugar.