Ben Johnson

Fine-mesh sieve

Whisk

Waffle iron

Pastry flour

Diastatic malt powder

Active dry yeast

Sugar

Salt

Baking soda

Milk

Butter

Egg(s)

Sift together all the dry ingredients. From here you have a few options: (1) pour the dry mix into an airtight container and store in the fridge for later; (2) tie a pretty ribbon around the neck of the jar and give it to your Aunt Marjorie for her birthday (who doesn’t love homemade waffle mix?); (3) start cooking them now. When you’re ready for waffles, place the dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well at the bottom with a spoon.

Make dry mix

If you love waking up to fresh waffles (who doesn’t?), make a big batch of dry mix and set it aside for any old time! Just seal up individual batches of dry mix, and when you’re ready, finish the batter with eggs, milk, and butter.

Think ahead!

Place milk and butter in a small pot and warm gently over low heat. You just need to melt the butter and bring the mixture up to about [c 40], which is the perfect temperature for waking up the yeast in the next step. Be careful not to overheat—keep it under [c 45]. If it does get too warm, don’t panic: you can let it hang out at room temp to cool or place the pot in ice water to cool off more quickly.

Warm milk, melt butter

When the milk mixture is at the proper temperature, add egg and whisk to combine.

Add egg

Pour the milk mixture into the well you created in the dry mix. Use a whisk to combine the ingredients and make batter.Allow this mixture to sit at room temp or warmer to allow the yeast to bloom. You can bloom the yeast for as little as ten minutes or up to two hours. The longer you let it go, the more rich, yeasty flavor you’ll develop and the more air pockets your waffles will have.

Combine wet and dry mixes; let yeast bloom

Pour the mixture into a preheated nonstick waffle iron. You may have to play with the time and temperature, as each waffle maker will be a little different. You want a nice, golden, crispy crust and a soft and almost custardy interior.

Make waffles!

Top these babies with whatever your heart desires. We love bananas and peanut butter, or strawberries and whipped cream, or fried eggs and sriracha. Go crazy! Waffles are delicious with almost anything. (Okay, maybe not tuna fish and Kraft singles.)

Prepare toppings; serve!

Can I use bread flour? What about all-purpose flour? Yes and yes. Bread flour yields a slightly tougher, breadier waffle, which some people might like. All-purpose flour will definitely work too, though it’s hard to predict exact results. We just liked the ones made with pastry flour best, but use any flour you have on hand. This is breakfast we’re talking about, not the World Pastry Cup.
What is diastatic malt powder? Do I have to use it? Diastatic malt powder is made from a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and whole milk, which is evaporated until it forms a powder. The amylase enzyme in diastatic malt powder breaks down starches into sugars, thus helping with rise, encouraging better flavor, and yielding a more tender crumb. In this recipe, diastatic malt gives the waffle a lacier, crispier crust, a more tender interior, and a bit of extra malty flavor. You can definitely omit it if you can’t find it or don’t want to use it. But <a href="http://www.modernistpantry.com/diastatic-malt-powder.html?affid=3">it’s really easy to buy online</a>, and once you have it, you can use it for lots of baking projects, like our <a href="hawaiian-sweet-rolls">Hawaiian Sweet Rolls</a>.There’s not a lot of sugar in this recipe. Are you sure 5 grams is correct? Yep. You may be surprised to learn that waffles don’t need a lot of sugar, but it’s true. This is a good thing because you won’t feel guilty about piling extra sweets on top.Do I have to let the yeast bloom for two hours? I don’t have that kind of time. Nope. The longer you let it bloom, the more flavorful and pillowy your waffles will become. But if you let it bloom for a minimum of 10 minutes, you’ll have delicious, fluffy waffles on the fly.

Frequently asked questions

The ballots are in. The votes have been counted. It’s official: in the battle of the breakfast treats (<a href="pancakes-vs-waffles">Pancakes vs Waffles</a>), the waffle reigns supreme. After all, who can resist its crispy-outside, pillowy-inside, tan-and-toasty sex appeal? The way it cradles your butter and syrup in its sweet little squares? The way it refuses to fill you up, with its light and airy interior? Yes, we agree, the waffle has earned its special place in our hearts, and it’s not going anywhere soon. And when it comes to making the best waffles imaginable, our amazing development chef Ben Johnson has some tricks up his sleeve. Yes, these tricks involve pastry flour, <a href="http://www.modernistpantry.com/diastatic-malt-powder.html?acc=3">diastatic malt powder</a>, and up to two hours of yeast blooming. You may be thinking: C’mon ChefSteps, you have to use diastatic malt powder to make waffles?! Well, yes, if you want those waffles to be crispy on the outside yet tender and fluffy inside. But you don’t have to use any ingredients you don’t want to. That’s why we’ve included a brief FAQ below that explains what the uncommon ingredients do and how to try the recipe without them. But beyond the diastatic malt powder, we’ve got simple, straightforward instructions for making dry mix (store it for later! give as a gift!) and an easy-peasy procedure for turning out perfect, tan-and-toasty stunners any day of the week.

Crispy Yeasted Waffles