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This overnight sourdough discard waffle recipe is, by far, the easiest sourdough recipe ever. I only recently started experimenting with sourdough. So as you can imagine, I’m still very much in the learning phase. However, I nailed this waffle recipe on the first go. It’s only been getting more and more delicious as I tweak the ingredients and flavors.

experimenting with sourdough | sourdough discard waffles

My favorite sourdough discard waffle recipe that’s perfect for beginners.

Benefits of Sourdough

My journey with sourdough all started when I heard that those who have gluten sensitivities can often times tolerate sourdough more easily because of the fermentation process. As the dough ferments for periods of 12 hours or more, it begins to break down the gluten in the flour. So although sourdough bread can often be tolerated better by those with gluten sensitivities, IBS, or gluten intolerances, it’s still not gluten-free. Consider it more of a low gluten bread rather than gluten-free.

In addition to this, sourdough is also known to be easier on blood sugar, especially when using whole grains. Sourdough has been known to have higher levels of resistant starches. This means it can take the body longer to digest the carbohydrates; reducing the risk of spiking blood sugar levels. I have yet to test this theory because I am currently just using all purpose flour. But since I struggle with insulin resistance, it’s definitely something I think I’ll be experimenting with in the future.

So far, Jon has been tolerating all of my sourdough creations very well.

Why Sourdough Waffles?

Gluten Intolerance – As mentioned above, one of the biggest reason I began this sourdough journey was to see if my husband could tolerate this homemade bread even though it’s not completely gluten-free. So far, I’m happy to report that he’s been eating all of my sourdough creations without any issues so far.

Knowing What’s in Our Food – The second biggest reason for making our own bread and waffles is just the peace of mind that we have knowing exactly what is going into our food. Jon goes through a lot of food in a week. A lot of those foods are specialty gluten-free products with ingredient lists a mile long and always including some sort of seed oil. Our homemade sourdough bread products now contain as little as three to four ingredients. I call that a win!

Save Money on Groceries – Thirdly, because I’m now making all of our bread products, we’re easily saving over $100 a month of our grocery bill. Expensive gluten-free waffle, gluten-free crackers, and gluten-free bread adds up really quickly when you’re feeding a very active, hard-working man who gets his energy from carbs.

Why a Sourdough Discard Recipe?

As I mentioned before, sourdough is better tolerated when it’s given time to ferment. I choose to make a sourdough discard recipe for waffles instead of an active sourdough starter recipe because it sits out all night fermenting…allowing that fermentation to break down a lot of the gluten in the flour.

It’s also a really great way to use up your discard. After feeding my starter a few times, I can have a lot of discard stored up. This recipe is a really easy way to use it up.

There are recipes for sourdough waffles that use active and bubbly starter, but this overnight sourdough discard recipe is just what I personally prefer.

sourdough discard belgian waffles | basic sourdough recipe

Tips

Avoid the Mess

Avoid batter sticking to your waffle maker. Most waffle irons these days have a non-stick coating. That means you shouldn’t need a single bit of cooking spray or oil to prevent your batter from sticking.

The trick is allowing your waffle maker to fully heat up before pouring in the batter. Ours has a green light that turns on. It will also sound off with three loud beeps to indicate that it’s ready.

Don’t Overfill

The next trick to a successful waffle-making experience is knowing how much batter to use. Waffle makers can easily be overfilled, causing a huge mess. Avoid the time-consuming cleanup by taking the time to figure out just how much batter to use. For our Belgian waffle maker, that comes to a little less than a half cup per waffle.

Freezing Your Waffles?

If you’re going to be freezing your waffles (like we do), I suggest not to overcook them. You want them to be cooked through but not crispy. They should light and fluffy. When you pull them out of the freezer and pop them in the toaster, they’ll come out being a perfectly crispy waffle.

Enjoy this ridiculously easy waffle recipe using sourdough discard.

Overnight Sourdough Discard Waffles

Chelsea

Simple and easy waffles using sourdough discard that the entire family will love.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 12

Cook Time 15

Total Time 12 15

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Servings 6 people

Equipment

1 Waffle Maker
1 Large mixing bowl

Ingredients

3/4 cup sourdough discard
2 cups milk
2 cups flour
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon baking soda added last

Instructions

1. Add discard, milk and flour to a large mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth.
2. Cover with a towel and allow to sit overnight for 10-12 hours
3. Preheat waffle maker
4. The next morning, add remaining ingredient (except baking soda) and mix well.
5. Add in baking soda last and incorporate well.
6. Use a measuring cup to scoop batter into waffle maker. Amount of batter will vary depending on how big of waffles your waffle iron makes. (I use a half cup for our Belgian waffle maker)
7. Cook your waffles according to the instructions for your waffle maker
8. Add your favorite toppings enjoy immediately or let cool completely and freeze for later (see notes)

Notes

If freezing your waffles to pop into the toaster later (like we do), I recommend undercooking your waffles slightly. They should be just done enough to be light and fluffy with no crisp (they’ll get crispy in the toaster)
Also if freezing, be sure to allow them to cool completely before storing them in a freezer bag. You don’t want any heat to create condensation.
Allow waffle iron to completely heat up before using. After adding your batter, don’t open the waffle maker until it mostly stops steaming. This will ensure that it doesn’t stick. We don’t use any cooking spray, and our waffles pop out of the waffle iron with zero mess using this method.
This recipe makes 12 waffles in our Belgian waffle maker.

Keyword Sourdough, Waffles