Bity
I started making raspberry sourdough waffles on Saturday mornings because my starter kept outgrowing its jar and I refused to keep pouring good flour down the sink. The berries were an accident, honestly. They were in the freezer and the batter was already mixed.
Raspberry sourdough waffles turned out far better than the plain ones. Little pockets of hot fruit sit inside a shell that shatters when you cut it, and the tang from the starter stops the whole thing tasting like pudding at eight in the morning.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love These Raspberry Sourdough Waffles
- Crisp shell, soft middle. The acid in the starter weakens the gluten a little, so the outside crisps instead of toughening.
- Twenty minutes, no waiting. Because there is bicarbonate of soda in the batter, you do not need an overnight rest.
- It uses up starter. Raspberry sourdough waffles take a full cup, which is most of a weekly feed.
- Frozen berries work. In fact, they hold their shape better than fresh ones do.
- They freeze and toast. So a double batch turns into a fortnight of quick breakfasts.
Ingredient Notes
- Sourdough starter. One cup, roughly 240 grams. Active and bubbly gives the most lift, though unfed discard works and tastes tangier.
- Milk. Nearly two cups, which sounds like a lot until you see how thirsty two cups of flour are. Whole milk browns best.
- Melted butter. Four tablespoons. It is what makes the crust crisp rather than merely dry, so do not cut it back.
- Eggs. Two large. They set the structure quickly, which matters when there is fruit releasing juice inside.
- Sugar. Only two tablespoons, and it is there for browning more than sweetness.
- Bicarbonate of soda. The starter is acidic, so soda is what reacts with it and lifts the batter. However, mix it in last and cook fairly soon after.
- Raspberries. A cup, fresh or frozen, left whole. Berries are one of the better studied sources of dietary antioxidants, and Harvard’s Nutrition Source sets out what that actually means.
Can You Use Discard for Raspberry Sourdough Waffles?
Yes, and this is the version most people end up making. Discard is simply starter that has not been fed recently, so it has less rising power and more acid. Since the bicarbonate of soda is doing the lifting here anyway, that loss barely shows.
What you do notice is flavour. Discard gives a sharper, more sour edge that works beautifully against sweet fruit and maple syrup. If you prefer something milder, feed your starter four hours before you mix.
Straight from the fridge is fine too. Just let it sit on the counter while you weigh everything else out, because ice cold starter makes the batter sluggish. For the plain version without fruit, see my sourdough discard waffles.
Should You Rest the Batter Overnight?
You can, and it deepens the sour note considerably. Mix everything except the soda, the salt and the fruit, cover it, and leave it on the counter for eight to twelve hours. Stir the last three in when you wake up.
That said, the version written below is designed for people who decided to make waffles about fifteen minutes ago. Both are good. One just tastes more obviously fermented than the other.
How To Make Raspberry Sourdough Waffles
1. Heat the iron. First get the waffle iron fully preheated. A lukewarm plate is the single most common reason waffles stick.
2. Whisk the wet ingredients. Next whisk the starter, milk, eggs, melted butter, sugar and vanilla together until smooth.
3. Add the dry ingredients. Then tip in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt, and stir gently until just combined. Lumps are fine.
4. Fold in the fruit. After that, fold the raspberries through with a few light turns of the spatula. Keep them whole.
5. Cook. Pour the batter into the hot iron and cook until deeply golden and crisp, roughly four to five minutes depending on your machine.
6. Serve. Finally lift them straight onto a rack, never a plate, and serve warm.
Biggest Mistakes to Avoid
- Crushing the berries in. This is the one that ruins texture. Broken fruit bleeds water into the batter and steams the waffle from inside.
- Thawing frozen fruit first. Straight from frozen is correct, because thawed berries collapse the moment they meet the spatula.
- Opening the iron early. The crust needs time to set. Lift the lid at two minutes and you will tear it in half.
- Stacking them on a plate. Trapped steam softens raspberry sourdough waffles within a minute. A wire rack keeps them crisp.
- Overfilling the iron. Half a cup plus a spoonful is plenty. Any more and the batter forces the hinge open.
Tips for the Best Raspberry Sourdough Waffles
- Grease the plates before every single waffle, not just the first. Fruit sugar sticks harder than plain batter does.
- Keep finished ones warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven on a rack while you work through the batch.
- If the batter thickens as it sits, loosen it with a tablespoon of milk. Sourdough keeps drinking liquid.
- A little lemon zest in the batter sharpens the fruit noticeably.
- Cook them a shade darker than feels right. Meanwhile the extra thirty seconds is what gives you that shattering crust.
Storage and Reheating
- Fridge. Raspberry sourdough waffles keep three days in a container once fully cooled. Warm ones put away steaming go soft and stay soft.
- Freezer. Two months. Freeze them flat on a tray first, then bag them, and follow the packing advice in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics guide to freezing.
- Reheating. Toaster, straight from frozen, on a medium setting. Alternatively spread them on a rack in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about five minutes.
Variations and Substitutions
- Other fruit. Blueberries and blackberries behave the same way. Chopped strawberries release too much water, so leave those on top.
- Dairy free. Oat milk and melted coconut oil in place of the milk and butter.
- Pancakes instead. Thin the batter with an extra half cup of milk and cook them on a griddle, much like my sheet pan pancakes.
- Extra tang. Swap half the milk for buttermilk and cut the soda to three quarters of a teaspoon.
- Half wholemeal. Replace one cup of the flour with wholemeal for a nuttier crumb.
What to Serve With Raspberry Sourdough Waffles
Raspberry sourdough waffles want maple syrup and cold butter first, always. After that a spoonful of thick yoghurt cuts the sweetness, and a scattering of extra berries makes the plate look like you tried harder than you did.
For a bigger spread, put them out with homemade granola for texture and a pot of instant pot oatmeal for anyone who wants something warmer and plainer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Starter and Batter
Can I use frozen raspberries?
Yes, and straight from the freezer is best. Fold them in without thawing so they hold their shape until the crust has set.
Will the fruit make them soggy?
Not if the berries go in whole and the waffles are cooked until properly golden. Crushed fruit is what causes a damp middle.
Do I need active starter?
No. Discard works well here, because the bicarbonate of soda provides the lift and the starter mostly provides flavour.
Can I halve the recipe?
Easily. Use one egg and halve everything else, since the batter scales without any trouble.
Cooking and Storage
Why are mine sticking to the iron?
Either the plates were not hot enough or they were not greased between waffles. Fruit sugar caramelises onto metal quickly.
How do I keep a batch crisp?
Rest them on a wire rack in a low oven rather than stacking them. Stacked waffles steam themselves soft in about a minute.
How long do they keep?
Three days in the fridge and two months frozen. Better yet, they toast from frozen without thawing at all.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough starter 240 g, active or discard
- 1 3/4 cups milk 420 ml
- 2 large eggs
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter 56 g, melted
- 2 tbsp sugar 25 g, optional but helps browning
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 5 ml
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 g
- 1 tsp baking soda 5 g
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt 3 g
- 1 cup raspberries 120 g, fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat the waffle iron fully, according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter, milk, eggs, melted butter, sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold the raspberries into the batter gently, keeping them whole.
- Pour the batter into the hot waffle iron.
- Cook until the waffles are deeply golden and crisp on the outside.
- Lift them onto a wire rack and serve warm.
