Raised Yeast Waffles, A Cure for What Ails Ya

It seems somewhat unfair to be posting about the world's most delicious waffles now, on Sunday night, when most of the food-blogging world won't be in a position to make long, leisurely breakfasts for another 5 days. Forgive me. It's just that we had these incredible waffles this morning, and--although I wasn't planning on blogging about them--once I had them, I couldn't not share them. May I introduce: Marion Cunningham's Raised Waffles.


These waffles are actually fairly famous around the blogosphere, so perhaps some of have already made them and are rolling your eyes at me, all 2000 and late. I myself make waffles approximately twice a year (I fall firmly into the oatmeal or eggs breakfast camp) so I don't have a vast repertoire of waffle recipes to fall back on. I heard about this particular recipe this weekend on a food program on NPR. The host rhapsodized on and on and on about how great they are, and being an easily impressionable sheep, I couldn't get the thought of waffles out of my mind. One day later: ta-da!


So what makes these waffles different? They're made from a yeasted batter that's prepared the night before and left to rise overnight at room temperature. In the morning, the final few ingredients (eggs and baking soda) are stirred in, and they're ready to cook. This is my ideal set-up, because usually by the time I have talked myself into making waffles, I'm ravenous and far too impatient to wait while the egg whites get whipped and gently folded into the batter. True, this method takes a little advanced preparation, but it's only about 10 minutes in the evening, and another 2 or 3 the next morning. Even a hungry hungry hippo such as myself can handle that.


These waffles differ from their cakier cousins in both taste and texture. The overnight rise of the yeast gave them a tangy, yeasty flavor similar to a mild sourdough bread--sort of what some buttermilk waffle recipes aspire to have. The texture was what really sold me, though. They're impossibly light, and the outside is so crisp it nearly shatters right off the iron, but underneath the crisp exterior, there are soft pockets with an almost custardy interior. Bliss!

Even if you don't have a free morning this week to laze around with the paper and a plate of waffles, you could spend a few minutes before work whipping up the batter, and enjoy the ever-popular breakfast for dinner. I can't think of a better way to finish up a work day.




Raised Waffles
From The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham

1/2 cup warm water
1 package dried yeast
2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Use a rather large mixing bowl--the batter will rise to double its original volume. Put the water in the mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Let stand to dissolve for 5 minutes. Add the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour to the yeast mixture and beat until smooth and blended. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature. Just before cooking the waffles, beat in the eggs, add the baking soda , and stir until well mixed. The batter will be very thin. Pour about 1/2-3/4 cup batter into a very hot waffle iron. Bake until golden and crisp. This batter will keep for several days in the refrigerator.