How Waffle For You! GF Raised (Sourdough Yeast) Waffles

Waffles, sunshine. What more could a person want?

The Bat made waffles for us, tonight. And when I say "us", I am including our extended-family member, longtime friend Bill, while his wife is away for the day, at the opera. And, when I say "waffles", I mean those tender and crispy, slightly tangy treats with holes designed for maximum containment of melted butter and syrup in violation of all known sensible diets.

While many people hear "waffle" and think "so what?" or something even less polite, I've spent the past few years missing them terribly. Until now.
You see, The Bat has always made the classic Fannie Farmer raised (yeast) waffles, which take all day to prepare, and I'm not generally an early riser (unless you're one of the few who think the crack of noon is too early to pour oneself out of bed). This means that, in my version of the wee hours, as I continue to saw wood, she mixes up what is, essentially, a sourdough starter… using regular flour. The stuff from the wheat grain. The stuff which gives me migraines and other health issues.

So, normally, when she makes waffles, I get scrambled eggs. NTTATWWT*, but I missed those waffles, and watching Pop drown his in butter and syrup while I nibbled at an eggy fluff...well, I think there's something about it in the Geneva Conventions.

So, a little over a month ago, I planted a seed of an idea, that we could experiment with my many different Gluten-Free flours, and have a family feast on the experiment. After all, most batters using rice and/or bean flours are better if they're allowed to stand and steep in their juices a bit before cooking or baking, and they often give an even more certain crispness than the temperamental wheat varieties...so why not?

Then, last week, I took out of the freezer and left on the counter my most commonly-used flour mixture, my Bob's Red Mill GF AP flour, and waited.

This morning (well, midday, really) when I arose, she already had the starter going. (This is but one of the many reasons I love my mommy.)

Halfway through the afternoon, we could both see that the recipe needed a little tweaking.  She upped the amount of yeast to double, and I added some xanthan gum (it's not crucial, but it helps build the necessary bonds for a tender, porous core). In another hour, the starter was bubbling and ripening nicely.

By half an hour before supper time, the batter was perfect.

There was also a pound of bacon stretched across a rack on a baking pan in the oven, turning crispy. It was a nice, simple, Sunday supper.

One last bite or two, to sop up the remaining maple syrup. Waste not, want not…

I was in heaven.

Too bad for the dog, we aren't going to share with him.

Hope, soon to be dashed

I get the leftovers. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!



Raised (Sourdough Yeast) Waffles

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lukewarm water
4 1/2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast (or 2 packets)

2 cups lukewarm milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups GF all-purpose flour (you may need to add 1/8 teaspoon or so of xanthan gum, if your flour blend doesn't already have it)

2 eggs
pinch baking soda


Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and yeast. Allow to stand 5 minutes, then add the milk, melted butter, salt and sugar.

Beat in the 2 cups flour. Cover, and let stand in a warm place 8 hours or overnight.

Prepare and heat the waffle iron.

Add in the 2 eggs and pinch of baking soda. Beat well. The batter will be very thin. Cook according to your waffle iron's directions.

Batter UP! (The ladle is navy surplus. The Bat really likes using it.)

Serve hot, with melted butter and your favorite syrup, fresh berries, or warmed jams/preserves (to make them more easily spreadable, and to avoid unnecessarily cooling the lovely, lovely hot, fresh waffles).

Serves 5-6.

The first little round one stuck to the iron, so it got kind of crumbled & bent. Tasted like a waffle, though, so, no complaints. 

*NTTATWWT:  Not That There's Any Thing Wrong With That