Yeasted Buttermilk Waffles

Our family is pretty casual about Christmas gifts and this past holiday was probably the most casual its been in years. We got my dad a pair of comfy slippers and the only gifts under the tree for my sister and me were pajama sets and slippers that we'd each picked out for ourselves a few weeks prior. However, my kitchen always cleans up Christmas. Because of Black Friday deals and all of the sales, I end up buying lots of bits and bobs for the kitchen and this year, I made two larger purchases including a waffle iron.

Back in college, our dining halls had awesome cast iron waffle makers - the kind that flip over and beep when they're ready - so that's what I wanted. I found one that fit the bill on Amazon and it's even more awesome because the waffle plates are removable which makes cleaning it a breeze.

To christen this babe of a waffle maker, I was just going to whip up a regular batch of buttermilk batter but then, I went ahead and made a yeasted batter because I wanted something a bit more special for the first go. Even though this batter takes some time, the result is an amazingly flavorful, crisped up waffle that is certainly worth the effort.

Ingredients [yields 2 to 2½ cups batter]:

¼ cup warm water
2 teaspoons honey
1¼ teaspoons dry active yeast
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ cups flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, room temperature

The batter must begin 8 to 10 hours before you want to enjoy your waffles, which usually means the night before. Start by mixing honey into warm water (cooler than 110F) and then sprinkling in the yeast. Set aside and leave until the yeast blooms and the mixture goes frothy and foamy. If the mixture does not get bubbly after 10 minutes, the yeast is probably dead and you'll have to start over.

In a separate container, mix together buttermilk, salt, and vanilla extract.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and then allow to cool to room temperature.

Pour the butter into the yeast mixture and whisk to combine. Then, alternate mixing in the flour and buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the flour. The batter will be thick and gluey. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to rise overnight. Because it's winter and the whole house is cooler - our house is around 65F - I'm fine with leaving it out on the counter. In the summer, I would probably let the rise happen in the fridge, since leaving milk products out at 75F makes me a little apprehensive.

In the morning, the batter will be bubbly and almost tripled in size.

Whisk up the dough to deflate the bubbles and then whisk in the baking soda and egg. The baking soda will react with the acidity of the dough and make an even fluffier waffle.

Heat up your waffle iron. I like to give the plates a quick spray (with coconut oil) before the first waffle for a little insurance.

Pour in the batter right in the center of the maker and then cook the waffles according to your manufacturer's instructions. My waffle maker takes about ½ cup of batter, maybe a tablespoon or two more, so this batter yields four perfect waffles.

Cook until the waffles are golden brown and fluffy.

Serve with cinnamon butter and syrup.

These waffles have a buttery crisp exterior, a deliciously fluffy interior, and the flavor is amazing. The yeast and overnight rise gives them a deep, rich, bready flavor that sets these apart from any generic waffle. These would also make an amazing dessert, as they'd be a perfect vessel for serving some sort of chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and ice cream combination.

Here's the recipe page: