Waffle Recipe
Here’s a recipe that doesn’t call for either beaten egg whites or butter, but these are nonetheless extremely light and flavorful waffles. For an interesting twist, substitute 1 1/2 tablespoons of malt powder for the 2 teaspoons of sugar.
6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup full fat buttermilk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in another and whisk each bowl so the ingredients are combined. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, then let the batter stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your waffle iron. When the batter is ready, ladle it onto the waffle iron and griddle until golden.
I think this recipe is short on flour. If I make it as written, the waffle batter is too thin and the waffles turn out hollow and eggy-tasting. But if I had another 1/2 cup of cake flour, they come out just right. Your recipes normally turn out great, so I suspect this one has a mistake.
Hey John! Quite right, and I’ll adjust that to your excellent specifications! Many thanks for the help,
– Joe
Why let the batter stand for 30 minutes? Isn’t it going to fall flat (since all the baking soda, baking powder will already have reacted, especially given the lack of egg foam)? Is it about relaxing the gluten or what tricky-trick? And also, does just half a teaspoon of b.p. leaven one and a half cups of flour?
Hey Silviu!
It is an oddball recipe for sure. The standing is to allow the larger air bubbles (from the mixing) to rise out. And yes you do lose some of the “pop” from the soda, but not all of it, since it takes heat to release it all. This is why the recipe contains more soda than you need. Usually it takes 1/4 teaspoon or so of soda to raise a cup of flour, since soda is so much more powerful than baking powder.
That help?
– Joe
I wonder if it works even without double-acting baking powder. The acidic component of my b.p. is disodium diphosphate which as far as I know indicates single-acting b.p.
Hey Silviu,
As far as I know disodium diphosphate is an anti-caking additive, sort of like cornstarch, it soaks up any moisture that enters the can through the air. Most baking powders are double-acting these days. Is there anything else listed on the label?
– Joe
No, the only ingredients listed are this thing, sodium bicarbonate and cornstarch. However wikipedia mentions that disodium diphosphate “is an acid source for reaction with baking soda to leaven baked goods”. On the other hand on the article of baking powder it list this chemical as a high-temperature acid salt.
Now, passing all this theoretical blabber… I have finally gotten to try your recipe, and it turned out pretty flat, though my use of AP flour instead of cake flour may have helped it along.
What brand is it, if you don’t mind my asking?
– Joe
The b.p. is Dr. Oetker, but every b.p. I have come across (from the most expensive to the generic brands from chain supermarkets) has the exactly same ingredients. If I had used some cornstarch with my flour it would have probably helped, since it is a pretty high-protein one (it doesn’t state the percentage but I’m guessing by the nice yeast breads it makes). However I do have a good (read “works for me”) basic waffle recipe, but I was intrigued by yours, and I would like to try your other recipes, like the sourdough one.