Sourdough Waffles & Pancakes

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Now that I have my never ending supply of sourdough starter, I decided to see what else I could make, besides bread. After scouting around for different recipes I developed the following recipe for waffles and pancakes. This morning I made a dozen of the lightest 4 inch waffles I have every tasted.

Sponge Ingredients:
2 cups of refrigerated sourdough starter
2 cups of flour
2 cups of water

Sponge Directions:
The night before, feed the 2 cups of starter with the flour and water in a large bowl. Mix well and leave it covered at room temperature (65 F. - 80 F. degrees) overnight. You should have a very active sponge in the morning. Measure out 3 cups for the waffle/pancake batter. (Place the remainder in your sourdough starter jar, give it a feeding with about 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour, let it rest 30 minutes to an hour, and return it to the refrigerator.)

Batter Ingredients:
3 cups of active sponge
2 eggs
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
4 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Batter Directions:
Add the eggs, oil, honey and salt to the sponge and mix well. Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes. You can cook the bacon or sausage, set the table, and heat the waffle iron or pancake griddle while the batter rests. The waffle iron or griddle should be set to 400 F. degrees, or moderately hot. Just before you are ready to cook, add the baking soda and mix well. If you add the baking soda too soon the batter may go flat and the waffles/pancakes won't rise well when cooked.

Originally posted 4/13/08
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