Warm up breakfast with hot, yeasted waffles...
published: Thursday | March 6, 2003

The extra-deep pockets of these crisp, golden Belgian waffles are filled with blueberry preserves; sour cream and threads of citrus zest provide an attractive garnish. - Cole Publishing Group

THE AROMA of hot waffles wafting from the kitchen has roused sleepyheads and converted breakfast-skippers on the spot. Golden-brown, with a honeycombed surface, homemade waffles easily make breakfast the most memorable meal of the day.

Waffles are never better than when they're leavened with yeast rather than baking powder or soda. Their tangy, breadlike flavour is hearty and satisfying, but there's another good reason to make yeast-raised waffles. Mixing the batter the night before, then setting it to slow-rise in the refrigerator makes the waffles especially light and crisp.

Next morning, there's nothing left to do but stir the batter and pour it onto a hot waffle iron. A couple more minutes, and the waffles are cooked to perfection, ready for topping with melted butter, warm maple syrup, preserves, fresh fruit or yoghurt. For a savoury combination, serve them with eggs, bacon or sausage.

Need a waffle maker? Check local kitchen ware stores. Most contemporary waffle makers have cast-aluminium grids with a plain or non-stick finish. Using nylon or wooden utensils, following the manufacturers' recommendations, helps protect the non-stick coating from scratches. Gently brushing the grids free of crumbs is often the only cleaning they need.

In the absence of a waffle iron, drop the batter by the spoonful onto a preheated, lightly greased griddle or cast-iron skillet for airy-light pancakes. The griddle or skillet is hot enough for cooking when droplets of water jump or bounce when dropped onto the hot surface.

SUCCESS TIP:

Waffles are generally cooked through and ready to be removed from a waffle maker when steam no longer rises from between the grids. The top half of the iron should lift away from the waffle without resistance. If there's any resistance, the waffle needs to cook longer.

Cast-iron grids, like other iron cookware, usually need to be oiled and heat-seasoned according to the manufacturer's instructions before cooking the first batch of waffles in them. Brushing on a light coating of vegetable oil will help keep cast-iron grids from rusting while they're stored.

Yeasted Belgian Waffles

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

(100 degrees to 105 degrees)

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

2 tbsps. canola oil

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs, separated

METHOD

1. Sprinkle yeast over the 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl; set aside about 5 minutes to soften. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt. Add butter, oil, the 1 1/2 cups water and vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Then beat in egg yolks and yeast mixture.

2. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold gently into batter. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator and stir down batter.

3. Preheat an electric waffle maker by setting the temperature control to 375 degrees (or whatever temperature is recommended in the manufacturer's instructions); preheat the machine until indicator light or buzzer indicates the proper temperature has been reached (about 10 minutes).

4. Spoon about 1/2 cup batter into waffle iron, spreading it with a spoon to just cover grids.

5. Close iron; cook until waffle is well-browned (about 4 to 5 minutes). Transfer cooked waffles to a wire rack and keep warm in a low oven until all the batter has been cooked. Serve at once.

Makes 8 or 9 Belgian waffles.

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