The two big boys are away at the Boy Scout camp this weekend, while the little guy and I remain in civilization. Our biggest accomplishment so far? We figured out how to hook up the Apple TV all by ourselves — and we didn’t even have to call the more tech-savvy family members out in the woods.
And, we made brunch waffles
Why brunch waffles, you ask? Why not breakfast waffles?
Well, these are yeast-raised waffles. I started trying to make these several years ago and made quite a few delicious “overnight waffles.” And we loved them. But it turns out I am rarely motivated to start waffles the night before.
Enter the brunch waffle. Perfect for lazy weekend mornings, these need to rise for about an hour — ideally while my people watch TV and I sip coffee and read cookbooks.
The result is a light, airy waffle, crisp on the outside with a complex, yeasty flavor. They are rapidly replacing banana pancakes as our favorite weekend treat.
And if you are a “night before” sort of person, these are even better after the batter spends 8 to 24 hours in the fridge.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups All-Purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast (you can dial this back to 1 tsp. if you are going to let them rise longer)
Method:
In a large, microwave-safe bowl or 8 cup measuring cup, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the milk to the same bowl and heat until approximately body temperature. (Lukewarm was a new word for the 9 year old). Add all of the other ingredients and whisk to combine. The batter will be loose and lumpy.
Cover with a damp towel (or plastic wrap) and let rise on the countertop while you enjoy your coffee.
In about an hour, heat your waffle iron and stir the batter a few times. (It’s very forgiving — you can do it as early as 45 minutes or let it go as long as 2-3 hours).
Pour the batter into your waffle maker and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The nine year old also recommends placing one chocolate chip in each square while the waffle is hot and letting them melt. Serve with maple syrup and anything else you want.
Leftover batter will keep in the fridge for about 24 hours (and according to my youngest, are even better); prepared waffles can also be frozen and reheated on busy weekday mornings.
Enjoy!
Adapted from “Simple Yeasted Waffles” by New York Times Cooking and “Belgian-Style Yeast Waffles” by King Arthur Flour
Louisiana Pickle 