Sourdough Waffles

Name: Sourdough Waffles
Prep time: 12 h 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 12 h 50 min
Ingredients: 1 cup whole milk; 1 cup sour cream; 1 cup sourdough starter; 1/4 cup granulated sugar (or to taste - you can use less sugar, about 1-2 Tablespoons or use honey instead); 2 cups all purpose flour; all of the overnight sponge; 2 large eggs, beaten; 1/4 cup oil or melted butter (avocado oil is my favorite), plus additional oil for the waffle iron; 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking soda

Jump to Recipe

Sourdough waffles are the most airy and fluffy waffles but still super crisp on the outside. Make the batter for the waffles in the evening and the next morning you'll get to enjoy such a treat.

Sourdough waffles are my absolute favorite way to use my sourdough starter. Besides baking all sorts of sourdough breads, I have experimented the most with waffle recipes.

Even though I love Belgian waffles too, sourdough waffles are far superior. As the batter stands overnight, it becomes so bubbly and active. That translates to lots of bubbles on the inside as the waffles cook. The sourdough also gives the waffles are mildly tart flavor. It's the perfect recipe to put your sourdough discard to good use.

I always make a big batch because waffles reheat really well and can even be frozen, which is so convenient for easy breakfasts in the future.

Watch the Video of How To Make Sourdough Waffles:

Ingredients:

The complete list of ingredients and their exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

sourdough starter
- this is the most important ingredient in this recipe, of course. You can't make sourdough waffles without a sourdough starter. If you have a friend who uses sourdough, get some from them. A more mature starter is the best, but you can also make your own sourdough starter. These are the tutorials I used several years ago when I first started working with sourdough.
- How To Make Your Own Sourdough Starter Farmhouse on Boone tutorial and King Arthur's Sourdough Starter

granulated sugar
all purpose flour
milk + sour cream
- Instead of using buttermilk, I use whole milk and sour cream. The waffles turn out much more crisp and are not as tart as when using buttermilk.
eggs
oil or melted butter
- I use avocado oil, but you can use any other mild oil, coconut oil or even melted butter.
salt
baking soda

How To Make the Overnight Sponge

The overnight sponge is really easy to make - all you do is mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let it hang out overnight at room temperature. Of course, that means you have to plan ahead, but it's really a very simple process. It makes all the difference in the texture of your waffles. Without giving the sponge time to get bubbly, the waffles will be much more dense and heavy. All the air bubbles that are created overnight will make the waffles incredibly airy and tender.

Prepare the overnight sponge. Mix together the milk and sour cream, then add the sourdough starter and sugar. Then add the flour and mix until evenly combined. The batter will be thick and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and leave at room temperature for about 12 hours or overnight.
In the morning, the batter will have grown and become bubbly and airy.

Overnight sponge for sourdough waffles, before and after standing at room temperature overnight.

How To Make Sourdough Waffles

Add the eggs and oil to the overnight sponge. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs with the oil, then add to the batter.
Lastly, add the salt and baking soda. Mix to combine.
Heat up the waffle iron and brush with oil on both sides.
Pour the batter into the waffle iron, gently spreading it out. Cook until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve the waffles warm, with your favorite toppings: melted butter, maple syrup, honey, fresh fruit and/or berries, powdered sugar, etc.

Helpful Tips and Frequently Asked Questions:

Can you make these waffles without making an overnight sponge?

Technically yes, but you won't have the same results. It can be really frustrating if you want to have waffles for breakfast and then you read through the recipe and discover that you need to wait for 12 hours - Ugh!
Sourdough really excels when it's given a time to ferment and create lots of air bubbles. This is what will give the waffles just an airy and light texture. The time will also give the waffles a pleasant tart flavor from the sourdough.
Even though you can still make the batter, make the "sponge" and then just add the remaining ingredients right away and make your waffles, they will be much more dense and not as delicious.

If you want waffles right away, I recommend you use my Belgian Waffle recipe - no waiting or sourdough starter required.

How to get the crispiest waffles:

Make sure to brush the waffle iron grates with oil on both sides EACH time to pour in more waffle batter. This will help to make the waffles as golden and crisp as possible, and help them easily come out of the iron too.
After the waffles are cooked, don't stack them on top of each other. The warm steam from the other waffles will make your waffles get soft. Instead, serve them right away, or place them in a single layer on a baking sheet with a rack on top. (You can keep them warm while cooking the rest of the waffles in an oven preheated to 200 degrees F.)

Buttermilk vs. Sour Cream + Milk

Most recipes use buttermilk but I chose to use sour cream and milk instead. Sourdough waffles with buttermilk are much less crunchy. They also have a much more distinct tart flavor.
The waffles with milk and sour cream are very crisp and crunchy on the outside but still very tender and airy on the inside.

Can you freeze sourdough waffles?

Absolutely! Waffles freeze really well. Place them in a freezer ziptop bag or an airtight container. I like to place some parchment paper in between the waffles so they don't stick together. Freeze for 1-3 months.
Then, simply thaw and reheat the waffles in your toaster, air fryer or oven until warmed through.

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 12 reviews

Sourdough waffles are such a treat - golden and crisp on the outside, airy and fluffy on the inside. The mild tang from the sourdough adds to the rich flavor and makes them irresistible.

Author: Olga's Flavor Factory
Prep Time: 12 hours 30 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 12 hours 50 minutes
Yield: 7-8 waffles

Ingredients

Scale

Overnight Sponge:

1 cup whole milk

1 cup sour cream

1 cup sourdough starter

¼ cup granulated sugar (or to taste - you can use less sugar, about 1-2 Tablespoons or use honey instead)

2 cups all purpose flour

Waffles:

all of the overnight sponge

2 large eggs, beaten

¼ cup oil or melted butter (avocado oil is my favorite), plus additional oil for the waffle iron

¼ - ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Make the overnight sponge: Mix together the milk and sour cream until smooth. Add the sourdough starter and sugar and mix to combine. Lastly, add the flour and mix again until you have a thick and smooth batter. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight, or about 12 hours.
The batter should have risen and become very bubbly.
In a medium bowl, mix the eggs then add the oil and continue mixing until they are smooth and homogenous. Pour into the bowl with the overnight sponge.
Add the salt and baking soda. Mix to combine.
Heat the waffle iron and use additional oil to brush the grates on both sides.
Pour the batter onto the waffle iron, smoothing out slightly. It should cover about ¾ of the surface of the waffle iron.
Cook until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve the waffles right away with your favorite toppings: melted butter, maple syrup, honey, fresh fruit and/or berries, etc. Store leftover waffles in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze for 1-3 month.

Notes

While cooking the waffles, I like to warm the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and place the waffles on a baking sheet topped with a rack to keep them warm while I am cooking the next set of waffles.