I was flipping through the latest issue of Gourmet, and the idea of yeasted cornmeal waffles intrigued me. And I'm so glad. These are light, nutty, absolutely delicious and the batter gets put together the night before, which makes them ideal for a lazy breakfast.
Cornmeal waffles (adapted from Brown Sugar Kitchen, via Gourmet)
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups whole milk (I actually used 1%)
2/3 cup stone ground cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 tsp baking soda
Vegetable oil for brushing
: Proof the yeast. Stir it into the lukewarm water (water should feel just barely warm when you dab it on your wrist) and let it stand until foamy, about 15 minutes.
: Mix together your dry ingredients (set aside the baking soda to add in the morning), slowly add your milk and eggs, whisking as you go. Stir in the proofed yeast mixture and the cooled butter.
: Cover the bowl and stick it in the fridge overnight.
: The following morning, stir in the baking soda and then make the waffles according to the instructions on your waffle maker. One thing to keep in mind - these waffles are thinner and lighter than you may be used to. They don't puff up much, so you don't want to pour too much batter in the waffle iron at once.
: You can keep the waffles warm while you work by sticking them on a cookie sheet in a 250F oven in a single layer.
I served them with a choice of maple syrup, apricot jam or pomegranate jelly. We didn't even end up using the butter, because they really don't need it.
