sourdough liege waffles

These waffles are my new go-to when I want to serve a special breakfast! I love that they use up sourdough discard…seriously always looking for recipes with discard!! They also use pearl sugar in the batter, which creates crunchy bits of caramelized sugar on the outside of the waffle. Seriously heaven. These waffles stay nice and crisp as well, so no more soggy waffles! I served them with fresh, local strawberries, whipped cream, and a sprinkle of chocolate bits. The leftovers keep well in an airtight container on the counter for a day or two, or pop it in the freezer to keep fresh for a few weeks or months!

Don’t have pearl sugar? They work just fine as plain sourdough waffles, I forgot the sugar once while testing them, and they still turned out so well.

Please note! Due to the pearl sugar nibs melting as the waffle cooks, you will get some caramelized sugar on your waffle maker!! A waffle maker with removable plates is the absolute best to make cleaning nice and easy. Otherwise make sure to use lots of cooking spray between waffles, and carefully clean while the maker is still warm. I use a damp paper towel folded around a knife to clean each crevice before the sugar cools and hardens.

Also, these waffles do have a bit of rise time! I generally make them up about 4 hours before serving and have them rise on the counter, or I’ll make the night before and let them rise in the fridge (the cooler temperature slows down the rising rate!).

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sourdough liege waffles

yields: about 6-8 waffles, varies with waffle maker

ingredients

1 cup (240 g) sourdough starter discard (my starter is 100% hydration)

1/2 cup water, room temperature

1/2 cup (113 g) salted butter, melted (if using unsalted, add an additional 1/8 tsp salt)

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups (188 g) all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup (133 g) pearl sugar

to make the waffles

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sourdough starter with the water with a spatula or wooden spoon. Add the melted butter, and stir together. Then add the egg, and mix again. Add the flour and salt to the batter, and mix until combined. Cover with a dishtowel and let rise for about 4 hours, until the mixture has about doubled in size (the time needed may be shorter for a hot summers day!). Alternatively, cover and place in the fridge overnight to make waffles the next morning.

Directly before making the waffles, add the pearl sugar. Doing so any earlier in the process will cause the sugar to simply dissolve into the batter! Use a wooden spoon and a strong arm to really make sure the sugar gets mixed in evenly. The dough will be stretchy and the sugar won’t want to incorporated, but keep trying!

Next, heat your waffle maker up, and grease with a cooking spray or brush with oil/butter. Spoon waffle batter into the maker, and cook according to your machine’s instructions. Repeat for all the batter.

Serve immediately with fresh fruit, whipped cream, coconut cream, chocolate chunks, chopped nuts, syrup, and more!

Keep the leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for a day or two, or in the freezer for up to a few months.

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happy waffle making!

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