Real Waffle Iron

I don’t care for wet bread – pancakes, bread pudding, stuffing – not my thing. I DO like crispy bread stuff, waffles at the top of the list as far as breakfast choices go, but I haven’t wanted to add yet another bulky item to my kitchen. Then I saw what an old-school waffle iron looks like and when I found one on Amazon for $17, I figured I’d swing for another specified piece of cast iron cookware.

I read several recipes and combined some tips and thought I’d share my results. Like any cast iron the waffle irons need to be babied and loved with heat, time and oil. Seasoning cast iron is something of a passion for me though I try not to do it while my partner is home because she hates the burning oil smell. For waffles she didn’t seem to mind.

I wanted crispy, light waffles so I knew I’d be employing some form of leavening. I found some recipes online for sourdough starter waffles, and that’s probably where I’m headed before too long but for now I used the lazy baker’s duo, baking soda and baking powder. Its double acting!

Couple major tips:

1. Use enough fat in your mix that they waffles are begging to come off the irons. I also spread a pat of butter on BOTH irons to minimize sticking. I imagine once I get the hang of it and used them a bit they should develop the classic non-stick coating good cast iron enjoys, but for my first go I used a lot of butter. Nope, not sorry one bit.
2. I whisked the egg whites to form stiff peaks and I think the added air really helped. I saw this mentioned in some recipes but not others, though it makes sense and was worth the time (and wrist).
3. I flip it right after I close it, then keep an eye on it. About 4 minutes per side seemed right.

Basic Waffle recipe

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking
• 1 tsp baking
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp soft butter
• 2 eggs (whites whisked till stiff peaks)

Combine the dry and wet separate. The butter should be soft but not hot or it may shock when it hits cold ingredients. The mix can be a bit lumpy, its better to have it not overmixed.