Waffles

Waffles are awesome.  They are easier to make than pancakes and for some people, are also tastier.


I am of course assuming you have a waffle maker at home.  Mine cost 40 dollars on amazon and makes perfect waffles every single time.  You do not have to invest in one over 40-50 dollars.  Mine is stupidly simple to operate and requires virtually zero clean up.  Invest in one asap.  It took me years to finally buy one and I have no idea why it took this long.  It will probably end up being one of the best investments I ever make in a kitchen appliance.

There are basically 2 versions of waffles you can make: 1.  Instant, baking soda risen waffles that you can cook right away.  2.  Yeast risen waffles that require 1-2 hours to rise (or overnight in the fridge).

I've made both versions and I think the yeast version is noticeably better in both flavor and texture.  That being said, if I were in a situation where I was impatient or had to make waffles right away, the baking soda version is still great and delicious.


baking soda waffle:
I made a traditional version of this and it turned out meh.  CI has a more updated baking soda waffle that requires buttermilk powder, sour cream, and seltzer water.  I didn't test that recipe because I just didn't think it was worth the hassle.  I then stumbled across a recipe that used corn starch in the batter and it was a significant improvement to the traditional recipe.

ingredients:
makes 2 large 7" waffles
1. 3.2 oz flour
2.  1 oz (4 TBL cornstarch)
3.  1 TBL cornmeal (I stole this from CI.  The cornmeal adds a subtle crunch to the texture of the waffle.  If you don't have cornmeal, leave it out but add a little more ap flour to the batter)
4.  1/2 tsp salt
5.  1/2 tsp baking powder
6.  1/4 tsp baking soda
7.  3/4 cup butter milk
8.  1/4 cup milk
9.  6 TBL veg oil
10.  1 egg (white and yolk separated)
11.  1 TBL sugar
12.  1/2 tsp vanilla

recipe:
1.  Heat oven to 200 degrees and set up wire rack over a baking tray and place in the oven.
2.  Heat up your waffle maker.
3.  Separate egg.
4.  Add all the dry ingredients into a bowl and gently mix.
5.  Combine the egg yolk, 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1/4 milk, and 6 TBL vegetable oil into a bowl and mix until combined.
6.  In a clean bowl, add the egg white.  Beat with a whisk or hand mixer until it starts to thicken and become foamy.  Add 1 TBL sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.  Continue to beat until whites hold soft peaks (look up how to do this if you are not sure)
7.  Add wet ingredients into dry and gently mix.  You can leave a lot of flour pockets as it will finish mixing when you fold in the egg whites.
8.  Using a rubber spatula, drop a few dollops of the beaten egg white into the batter.  Using a FOLDING MOTION (do not just stir or push down on the batter), gently fold and incorporate the egg white into the batter.  Repeat this process, adding a few dollops of egg white at a time then folding it in, until all the egg white has been incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times during this process.
9.  Lightly spray or dab your waffle maker with oil.  Add enough batter so that it nearly fills up the entire area.  There should be only a small 1/4" border around the waffle maker with no batter.
10.  Close up the waffle maker and cook according to the instructions.
note: -  The waffle maker will release a lot of steam as it cooks.  I know my waffle is done when there is little to no steam left coming out.  This only takes around 3-5 minutes.
11.  Use really any utensil to remove the waffle (it should slide right out).  Place the waffle into the pre-heated oven onto the wire rack. (DO NOT STACK THE WAFFLES.  They will get soggy)
12.  Close the waffle maker and let it re-heat for 1 min before cooking more waffles.  Serve with butter and syrup.


yeast waffle:
the batter can be made the night before and then tightly covered and put into the fridge for 12-24 hours.

this waffle doesn't really require butter after it is cooked since there is already a lot of butter in the batter.

ingredients:
makes 2 large 7" waffles
1.  1 3/4 cups whole milk
2.  8 TBL unsalted butter
3.  10 oz ap flour (2 cups)
4.  1 TBL granulated sugar
5.  1 tsp table salt
6.  1 tsp instant yeast
7.  2 large eggs
8.  1 tsp vanilla extract

recipe:
1.  Microwave butter until melted 30-90 seconds.
2.  Add milk, mix, and microwave another 30-90 seconds until liquid is WARM to the touch.  If the liquid is hot, do not proceed until it has cooled to warm.  The yeast will die in too high of a temperature.
3.  In a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients and gently mix.
4.  Add liquid to dry and mix until smooth.
5.  In a separate small bowl, combine eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.  Add that to the batter and mix until well incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl.
6.  Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours OR cover and leave out at room temp for 1:30-2 hours until dough has doubled in size.
7.  When ready to cook waffles, heat oven to 200 degrees and set up wire rack over a baking tray and place in the oven.  Heat up the waffle maker for 5 minutes.
8.  Lightly mix the dough, just to deflate it.
9.  Lightly spray or dab your waffle maker with oil.  Add enough batter so that it nearly fills up the entire area.  There should be only a small 1/4" border around the waffle maker with no batter.
10.  Close up the waffle maker and cook according to the instructions.
note: -  The waffle maker will release a lot of steam as it cooks.  I know my waffle is done when there is little to no steam left coming out.  This only takes around 3-5 minutes.
11.  Use really any utensil to remove the waffle (it should slide right out).  Place the waffle into the pre-heated oven onto the wire rack. (DO NOT STACK THE WAFFLES.  They will get soggy)
12.  Close the waffle maker and let it re-heat for 1 min before cooking more waffles.  Serve with syrup.