Weekend Food Prep–Yeast-Raised Belgian Waffles

Prepandemic, some friends and I had a monthly brunch tradition. We’d find a restaurant with delicious food and meet up once a month to catch up and stay connected. During the pandemic, once vaccinations were available and we had a clue about what was safeish to do, we began having brunch at one our homes. Waffles, for me, are eminently a brunch food. With a slightly sour, fermented flavor from the yeast, this recipe is delicious and special and worthy of company, but it can also be made as a batch, frozen, and reheated at your leisure.

Yeast-raised Belgian Waffles

The original version of this recipe came from The Joy of Cooking, which I adapted, amongst other ways, to reduce the butter by half. The extra butter in the original recipe makes a very crunchy and wonderful waffle, for when you want that extra crunchy-crisp texture, but I think mine come out plenty delicious and crisp all the same.

one. In a small, microwave safe bowl or measuring cup, heat until warm (105^oF to 115^oF), about 90 seconds in my microwave:
3 cups milk or soy milk

two. In a small bowl, whisk together:
2 1/4 tsp. yeast (1 package)
1/4 cup of the warmed milk

three. In a large bowl, whisk together:
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup of the warmed milk
6 Tbs. melted and cooled butter⁽¹⁾

four. Add the yeast mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Stir in:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla

five. Alternating between wet and dry ingredients, slowly add:
The remaining 2 1/2 cup warmed milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 cups all-purpose flour

six. Beat until soft peaks form:
3 egg whites

seven. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Cover with plastic wrap or a warm, damp towel, and allow to sit in a warm space for an hour.

eight. When you’re ready to make the waffles, heat your waffle iron and lightly oil it with a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil. Pour 3/4 cup waffle batter (or whatever your waffle iron calls for) and cook until golden brown.

nine. If you are using these for food prep, allow them to cool completely then wrap in plastic or in reusable plastic bags. They keep at room temperature 3 days or frozen for months. Reheat in a warm oven or in the toaster.

Yields 9 8-inch round waffles.

⁽¹⁾ _{I’ve gone down to as little as 4 tbs. butter for this recipe, and the waffles come out fine. You are sacrificing some flavor and crunchy texture, the less butter you add. You can decide to what degree those are worth the substitution.}