Claire’s Easy Overnight Waffles
Oso & Me founder Claire Hudson loves this overnight waffle recipe because sometimes she wants to cook up something extra special for her kids even when she's not feeling like a morning person or if she went out for an evening of socializing with friends or family with lots of yummy food and wine. Claire thinks it's easy to make this light and fluffy breakfast treat the night before—just brings her waffle iron to the table and lets her kiddos do the rest.
This sweet treat is also a delight for parents the morning after a night of celebrating—It's Claire's belief that's it's important for parents to let loose and have a bit of fun, too.
Claire’s Overnight Waffles
INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup warm water (about 105 to 110 degrees, so not too hot)
• 1 packet of active dry yeast (1/4 ounce, 7 grams or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 2 cups of milk, warmed (again, not too hot)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled until lukewarm (4 ounces or 115 grams)
• 1 teaspoon of table salt
• 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• Oil or melted butter for waffle iron
• Powdered sugar, syrup or berries for serving
EQUIPMENT
• Large Bowl
• Plastic Wrap
• Waffle Iron
STEPS TO MAKE IT
1. The night before: Pour warm water into the bottom of a large bowl (larger than you think you’ll need, because the batter will rise a lot). Sprinkle yeast on top and let it dissolve and foam ever-so-slightly for 15 minutes. Stir in milk, butter, salt, sugar, and flour—start with a little bit of wet ingredients then add a little bit of dry, back and forth, to avoid forming lumps. If lumps form, you can mostly whisk them out.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it out on counter overnight.
3. The next morning: Whisk in the eggs and baking soda until smooth. Heat the waffle iron (a thinner one is better than a Belgian-style one, as this batter will not rise enough to fill a deeper iron) and coat lightly with butter or oil. Ladle in 1/2 to 3/4-cup of batter per waffle batch. The batter will be very thin and will spread a lot in the pan, so err on the side of under filled until you figure out the right amount. Repeat with remaining batter.
4. The waffles can be kept crisp in a warm oven until needed. If you only want to make a few at a time, the batter keeps well in the fridge for several days.
