Yeast-raised Waffles

Happy pancake Tuesday everyone! For those of you unfamiliar as to what pancake Tuesday is I will briefly explain. Pancake Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday, is the day before lent begins. It is the last day of indulgence for those participating in lent and has the purpose of using up food that people do not eat during lent i.e butter, milk, eggs. Thus the dawn of pancake Tuesday, as making pancakes was the best way to use up these ingredients.

You are probably asking "But Alana, if it is Pancake Tuesday, why are you making waffles?" Lets face it in the battle between pancakes and waffles, waffles win every time. I mean, they are soft in the inside and crispy on the outside. Plus they have little cavities in them which catch the syrup! What's not to like!

Recipe

Yield: 8 waffles

Ingredients

• 350 ml milk

• 1 heaped tsp yeast

• 2 eggs (separated)

• 60 g sugar

• 85 g butter (melted)

• 300 g plain flour

• 1 tsp vanilla

• pinch of salt

Method

Warm up the milk (until hand warm) and add roughly 30 ml of it to the yeast to activate it. Give it a stir and set aside. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until they form a stiff peak.

Next beat together the egg yolks, butter, sugar and 40 ml of milk, until all ingredients are incorporated. Add in the yeast, vanilla and salt to the egg mixture and stir in until combined. Then, add in the flour and the rest of the milk in increments, until all are incorporated and the batter is smooth.

Fold in the egg whites, making sure not to knock any of the air out of the mixture. Cover with clingfilm and set in a warm place to rise for one hour. The waffle mixture should have doubled in size once the hour is up.

Turn on the waffle machine and allow to heat completely, This is an important step in making sure that waffles are cooked perfectly. To cook the waffles, scoop about 1/2 cup worth of batter into the machine and cook for about 3 minutes, or until risen and golden brown. Make sure to grease the waffle machine if it is not a non-stick one.

Serve with the toppings of your choice. I decided to do one with bacon and maple syrup and one with Greek yogurt and fresh berries.