Sourdough Waffles: Simple, Tasty and Fast

If you’re baking with sourdough, chances are you’ve ended up with leftover starter more than once. Instead of throwing it away, these sourdough waffles turn both active starter and sourdough discard into crisp, golden waffles with a subtle tang and light texture. It’s one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to use sourdough beyond bread.

This recipe works equally well with an active, bubbly starter or with unfed discard straight from the fridge—the portion you’d normally remove when feeding your starter. The result is a reliable waffle batter that cooks up evenly, develops beautiful flavor, and makes sourdough baking feel practical rather than wasteful.

A simple habit makes this even easier: keep a clearly labeled jar of sourdough discard in the fridge. Each time you feed your starter, add the excess to the jar. After a few days, you’ll have everything you need to bake these sourdough waffles or explore more sourdough pastry recipes on our blog. Now it’s time to stop browsing, heat up your waffle iron, and turn that starter into something crisp, golden, and deeply satisfying.

Tasty sourdough waffles fresh from the wafel maker!

Sourdough Waffles Recipe: Simple, Tasty and Fast

This sourdough waffle recipe offers a flexible approach, allowing you to bake crisp, golden waffles straight away or let the batter rest for deeper sourdough flavor, depending on time and preference. Recipe overview:

• Serves: 6 large, 8 medium or 10 small waffles

• Preparation time: 10 minutes

• Resting time: optional (0 to overnight)

• Cooking time: about 2 minutes per waffle

• Total time: 20 minutes, or up to 24 hours including resting

This recipe uses baking soda for leavening, which means you can bake the waffles straight away if you’re short on time or seriously hungry. The result will be light, crisp, and mildly tangy.

If you prefer a deeper, more pronounced sourdough flavor, let the batter rest overnight before baking. This slow rest allows the sourdough to develop more complexity and aroma, making the waffles extra flavorful. No sourdough starter on hand? You can substitute it with a simple 50/50 mixture of water and all‑purpose flour—the waffles will still turn out delicious.

Ingredients for Sourdough Waffles

These ingredients are chosen to work with both active sourdough starter and starter discard, creating a balanced waffle batter that bakes crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

• 150 g (¾ cup) sourdough starter (if you don't have enough, swap the missing part for 50/50 water/all-purpose flour)

• 200 g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 100 ml (½ cup) yoghurt

• 40 ml (2 ½ tablespoons) milk

• 50 g (¼ cup) sugar

• 1 egg

• A pinch of salt

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

• 50 g (3 ½ tablespoons) butter

Sourdough waffles in the making! Easy, fast and delicious recipe!

Instructions for Sourdough Waffles

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour (200g or 1 + ½ cups) with the sourdough starter leftover (150g or ¾ cup), and baking soda (1tsp) if using, sugar (50g or ¼ cup), yoghurt (100ml or ½ cup), milk (40 ml or 2 + ½ tablespoons), and cinnamon (optional), egg (1), melted butter (50g or 3 ½ tablespoons) and salt (a pinch) until smooth. Let the batter rest until you’re ready to use it. I like making it the night before and letting it sit until morning. This way the sourdough can mature and it will improve flavour.

2. Heat your waffle maker, and when it’s hot, brush the plates with a little butter.

3. Spoon a generous scoop of batter onto the waffle plate. It is good to add less then needed since the dough still rises. Press the waffel maker firmly at the start of baking, then let it go. In some seconds the waffels rise and a thick and tasty waffel appears.

4. Open the waffle maker once it brown (do not open it before!) and let the waffle sit for a moment so the top crisps up. Then flip it out onto a plate.

5. Repeat until all the batter is gone.

Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, some whipcream with strawberry's or vanilla ice cream. (Or all of them! — life’s too short to choose.)

Nutritional Information for Sourdough Waffles

This nutritional information provides an overview of calories and macronutrients per serving, based on the ingredients and quantities used in this sourdough waffle recipe.

Nutrient	Amount per serving (1/8 portion)
Calories	205 kcal
Total Fat	7.5 g
Saturated Fat	4.2 g
Cholesterol	38 mg
Sodium	195 mg
Salt	0.49 g
Total Carbohydrates	29 g
Dietary Fiber	1.1 g
Sugars	7.5 g
Protein	5.2 g

What's your favorite topping, share it in the comments!