Sourdough Starter and Sourdough Waffles

Early this spring I decided to try my hand at growing my own wild yeast sourdough starter.  I had been baking a lot of regular yeasted breads at that point and, while successful, I was yearning to create bakery quality bread with more depth of flavor and a better crust.  By following some online directions and using a few books for guidance I was successful.  I have found a couple of invaluable resources that have helped me through the entire process.  Here are a few of my favorite links to get you started on growing and maintaining your own starter.
Wild Yeast
Tartine Bread Experiment
Discovering Sourdough
Tartine Bread

After the first week of life I decided to put some of my extra starter to work and I was delighted with this gorgeous batch of crisp and airy waffles.

Sourdough Waffles

adapted from KAF 

the night before prepare this overnight sponge:

overnight sponge

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup sourdough starter

waffle batter

all of the overnight sponge

2 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

The night before, combine all of the overnight sponge ingredients.  Mix thoroughly and store at room temperature, covered overnight.  Do not worry about the buttermilk, it will not spoil.

In the morning, separate the eggs and put the egg whites in a medium bowl and whip until soft peaks form, set aside.  Whisk the egg yolks and oil in a large bowl and then add the overnight sponge, salt, baking soda, and vanilla.  Combine but be sure not to overmix the dough.  I use a fork and stir for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Gently fold the egg whites in using a spatula, you want to incorporate the egg whites in without deflating them too much.  Fill your heated waffle iron as you normally would and cook for about 3 minutes or until golden and crisp on the outside.