When I was a little girl we would go out for Mother's Day brunch at a fancy restaurant that served these little home-made waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. I would look forward to those waffles all year. We never had waffles at home unless you count toaster waffles (yuck) or the super white, refined, pre-packaged junk you just add milk to- you know, the kind that taste like Styrofoam unless they're loaded with maple syrup. Once I learned how to properly prepare foods to maximize nutritional benefits and minimize things like phytic acid, I made it my motherly mission to create the perfect sourdough waffles (of course with garden strawberries, lots of grass-fed butter and whipped cream!)
My Waffles are all the better because I finally managed to get my hands on an antique waffle iron from 1908. This thing is heavy duty- it'll never break down, my grandchildren will get to use it, and best of all, no toxic Teflon!
Ingredients & Method:
I rarely use exact measurements for anything when I cook or bake. But here is how I generally create these waffles:
The night before, add about 1/2 cup- 1 cup of sourdough starter to 2-3 cups of flour. Add enough water that you can stir it into a think dough, incorporating all of the flour, but not making it too liquid, as you'll want to add the milk and eggs, etc. the next morning.
In the morning, add 2-3 eggs (I like to use at least one duck egg), 1-2 Tbsp of melted butter, and a pinch of salt. Get that stirring as best you can (It will be thick and difficult to mix at first). I then add a little bit of milk and start using my hand blender. I keep adding a bit of milk until I have the proper consistency (not too thin, but not so thick that it doesn't easily pour). You can test the consistency using a ladle to see how thickly it pours.
For sweet waffles, I add cinnamon and vanilla extract, sometimes a bit of nopal cactus powder if I have it to help with blood sugar balancing. For savory waffles, I add grated carrot or zucchini, Parmesan and garlic granules. Savory waffles can be topped with eggs or tomato jam or anything your imagination and taste buds can think of!
I make sure my pan is nice and hot and well buttered when I put on my batter and I generally cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. The second side takes slightly longer than the first. If you are using a modern waffle iron, of course there is no rotating of sides involved.
These are waffles you can feel great about serving to your family! We make them anytime there is a birthday, or special holiday, or an abundance of strawberries! I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!