The secret to great waffles is a thick batter, so don’t expect to pour this one. Make toaster waffles out of leftover batter—undercook the waffles a bit, cool them on a wire rack, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze. Pop them into the toaster for a quick breakfast.
If you need to hold the waffles for a short time, place them on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, cover them with a kitchen towel, and place the baking sheet in a 200-degree oven. Before serving, remove the towel to allow the waffles to crisp for a few minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, (5 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon fine-ground cornmeal, (optional)
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg, separated
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅞ cup buttermilk
- pinch cream of tartar
Directions
1. Heat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cornmeal (if using), salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, butter, and then the buttermilk.
3. Beat the egg white and cream of tartar with a hand-held mixer on high speed until the stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes.
4. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients in a thin steady stream while gently mixing with a rubber spatula; be careful not to add liquid faster than you can incorporate it. Toward end of mixing, use a folding motion to incorporate ingredients; gently fold egg white into batter.
5. Following the manufacturer's instructions, spread the appropriate amount of batter onto the waffle iron and cook until golden brown, about 3 1/2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, serving the waffles immediately or holding them in a 200-degree oven (see the note above) until all are cooked.
The cornmeal is a nice touch. I used coarse ground and it still turned out okay. I've double the recipe and and made 5 round waffles. Our round waffle iron takes 2 heaping scoops with a #20 scoop.