sourdough waffles

Need to get rid of your sourdough starter discard but don’t want to throw it away? Use it to make these easy and delicious sourdough waffles! Tender, fluffy and lightly sweet with a hint of sourdough flavor, these waffles make for a tasty breakfast any day of the week. Bonus: You can make pancakes with the batter, too. HAPPY DAY.

Girl Versus Dough Turns 10 Years Old
This week marks my 10th (!) anniversary of starting this dear ol’ blog. On a muggy August morning in 2009, I hit publish on my first post for basic bread dough (I’m not going to link to it to save your eyes from the photography, but trust it is a sight to behold). I had no idea what I was doing, both on the blog and in the kitchen, but it became my mission to learn how to better at all of the above (what can I say: It’s the Enneagram type 3 in me, for better or worse).
Fast-forward a decade, hundreds of recipes, thousands of photos, places traveled, friends made, a long hiatus, a return, life lived in an RV, two kids, houses purchased and sold (and thus, multiple kitchens used) and here we are. It’s so cliche, but so true: Some days, I feel like I’ve been blogging for 100 years. Other days, it feels like I started last month. Such is the path of a journey lived in the ever-changing world of the Internet.
I have nothing extravagant planned to celebrate a decade of GVD, but I do want to say: THANK YOU. Those two words don’t even adequately express how grateful I really am for this community. You blow me away with your enthusiasm, your encouragement, your humor, your kindness. You’ve helped me through the best of times and the worst of times. You’ve made my recipes and it still shocks me (in a good way)! Like, wow, this is the real deal. YOU are the real deal. So, thank you for being the best group of baking lovers a blogger could ever have. We are family. I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING.

Sourdough Waffles
Anyway, before I get too misty-eyed, let’s talk about these sourdough waffles! I promised y’all back when I posted my How to Make Sourdough Bread series that I would try to offer recipes for using up that sourdough starter discard so it doesn’t go to waste every time you feed your starter (for more info on that whole deal, check out my sourdough starter recipe and it’s companion post how to feed sourdough starter).
So yes, it’s true that you’ll need to have a living, active starter to make these waffles. It’s what gives them a delicate sourdough-like flavor. The good news is, if you have a starter going, you’re just steps away from having homemade sourdough bread AND sourdough waffles in your life. Hooray! Looks like we’re celebrating, after all.
How to Make Sourdough Waffles (or Pancakes)
The process to make sourdough waffles is very much like that of making regular waffles: You mix together a batter, cook it in a waffle maker (I purchased this one recently and I love how it makes four thick waffles at a time) and eat. The biggest difference here is that you add sourdough starter discard to the batter so you don’t have to throw it in the trash instead.
The end result is a fluffy, light, soft, sweet and slightly sourdough-flavored waffle that tastes even better topped with fresh whipped cream, berries and a generous glug of maple syrup. I speak from experience.
Bonus: You can also make sourdough pancakes with this batter! Just cook the batter on a hot griddle instead as you would any other pancake.

Tips for the Best Sourdough Waffles
A few tips to win at waffle-making:
1. You can add anywhere between 6 to 8 ounces of sourdough starter to your batter–it really just depends on how much you have. I usually have about 6-7 ounces of starter left over to discard/use in my batter. Generally speaking, I like to use sourdough discard that’s been out of the fridge and fed a few times so it’s very lively and bubbly and flavorful–however, you can also use starter from directly out of the fridge. In short, this is a very forgiving and flexible recipe!
2. Make a double-batch of these waffles and freeze them for on-the-go breakfasts throughout the week. I like to let my waffles cool completely, then place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer until fully frozen. Then, I’ll put them in a resealable freezer bag and store them in the freezer. In the morning, I’ll pop one in the toaster, slather it with peanut or almond butter and be on my merry way.
3. Feel free to add a handful of chocolate chips or chopped berries to the batter for extra flavor. Honestly a chocolate chip sourdough waffle with peanut butter and maple syrup on it sounds like heaven right now.
For more sourdough adventures, be sure to check out my How to Make Sourdough Bread series (with printable guides, step-by-step photos and instructions and more!). Happy Monday, my friends, and enjoy these wondrous waffles.
*NOTE: The flowers on these waffles are for decorative use ONLY. Please do not decorate your waffles with inedible flowers if you plan to decorate them/eat them as such.*
More Sourdough Recipes!
- sourdough cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting
- cinnamon raisin sourdough bread
- easy sourdough focaccia
- sourdough blueberry muffins

Sourdough Waffles
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 7 to 8 waffles 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
Simple and delicious sourdough waffles — perfect for using up that sourdough starter discard!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk, plus more as needed
- 6 to 8 ounces (weight) sourdough starter
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup flour, sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk eggs and 1/2 cup milk until well combined. Whisk in sourdough starter until completely blended. Add flour mixture and melted butter; stir until combined. The batter should be the thickness of pancake batter; depending on how much starter you added, you may need to add in more flour or milk to reach the desired consistency.
- Cook in heated waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions.
Notes
- Adapted from Serious Eats
- I used about 6.5 ounces of sourdough starter and needed to add about 1/3 cup extra milk to reach pancake batter-like consistency with my batter. So don’t be surprised if you need to add quite a bit more flour or milk!
- If you don’t have a waffle iron or don’t want to make waffles, you can make pancakes with this batter. Just cook them on a greased hot griddle instead of in a waffle iron.
Congratulations Stephanie! 10 years!! So glad you still blog!
Mary, thank you so very much! I appreciate you!
Congratulations on your anniversary! I cannot believe it’s been 10 years! I love watching you grow in so many ways! You inspire me to do so much more, not only with baking, cooking, and grilling but with life., with parenting, with friendships and so much more. Thank you for who you are!
On a different note, Sourdough ANYTHING is alright in my book! The waffles look great and I’m sure they taste great too. I may have to steal a starter from you!
I can’t believe it, either! Thank you, mama. You are my original inspiration. 😉
Misty-eyed? Yes i am. I love your recipes and expressions on home life and travel.
Thank you!
And congratulations on 10 wonderful years!
Patiently waiting for the next 10!!!
BTW. I love sourdough!!!!!
Denny, Thank you SO much. Here’s to another 10 years (+ more! :))!
Delicious recipe!!!
Elisabeth, Thank you!!
These are delicious, simple and quick waffles! I love that they don’t require buttermilk (in my mind the sourdough discard fills that role) or any proofing time, and they still had a great texture. I actually halved the recipe because I’m only cooking for two and it turned out perfect!
These were delish!
I used only 4oz of discard, added 1/2 cup chopped strawberries and 1 mashed banana. Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Best sourdough waffle recipe I’ve found, and I won’t be looking for another. The flavor is great, and the texture is perfect. I made Belgian waffles , which rose beautifully and didn’t deflate. Doubled the recipe so I’d have some to freeze. No problem there either. Thanks for helping me end my search for the perfect waffle,
What did you do to make them “Belgian” waffles?
Belgian waffles are a style of waffle. They have deeper ‘pockets’ that a typical waffle.
I guess feedback would be just the yield that these make. I doubled the recipe and only got 8 waffles. Delicious though thank you!!!!
Me too!
Made these today with a doubled recipe and yum! They were perfect.
Made it for breakfast last week now I have to make it again. Definitely making a double batch
Easy to follow and tasty.
I was looking for savory lunch waffle from my sour dough discard. I left out the sugar ,added a tsp of onion powder, 1/2c corn and half roll of cooked spicy breakfast sausage. I served with red beans. I put out green salsa and red salsa and maple syrup along with sour cream and butter. People chose all different combinations. My waffle iron made 11 3 inch squares. I calculated calories approx 185 per square. I was pleased.
Another variation I use if I know I am making pancakes or waffles the next day is too use a pre ferment. I adopted this from King arthurs recipe and daniel leader. Mix 2 cups of lower protein flour and 2 cups of milk with sourdougn starter (~1/4 cup (100g) . Add a little honey. Let sit on counter in a warmish place (70F) overnight. the next day mix a 1 t salt, 1 t baking powder with a small amount of milk to dissolve. Beat two eggs well and melt 1/4 c of butter. mix together with preferment, add a little milk as needed to set consistency you like. cook on pre heated waffle iron or a griddle. Absolutely the lightest waffles and pancakes ever.
This is a great recipe!!
The only flour I had was whole wheat flour, so I used that. They still turned out delicious, and I make them weekly!
Easy recipe and simple cleanup, would definitely recommend.
Usually I’m not a fan of pancakes, but I think this recipe just turned my thinking 180°. Not only was this recipe easy to put together, but the pancakes turned out wonderfully spongy with lots of airy holes. Thanks for adding your notes which gave me some latitude with which to work. Additionally, I just discovered that you don’t have to have butter and maple syrup to eat a pancake with. You can eat the pancake with yesterday’s leftovers! What a revelation.