Food for Fellowship: Miniature Waffles

These pancakes (now miniature waffles!) have been hits both times I’ve served them, Mother’s Day and fellowship after church.  Assemble the batter the night before the morning you plan to make them.  Alternatively, have pancakes for dinner and make the batter in the morning, then cook at night.  I bought the mini waffle pan as a reward/bribe for myself for surviving routine bloodwork.

Overnight Yeasted Buckwheat Waffles/Pancakes

How ’bout we just say it’s a flat breakfast bread with a bit of rise to it and call it even?

Modified from Laurie Sadowski, “Overnight Buckweat Pancakes,” in The Allergy-free Cook Bakes Bread (Summertown: Book Publishing Company, 2011), 83.

1/4 cup warm water

1 teaspoon organic sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

3/4 cup buckwheat flour

3/4 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons organic sugar

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups non-dairy milk (I’ve used a mix of rice and almond or soy)

1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or other mild vinegar)

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

2 tablespoons oil (I used sunflower or canola)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: 1 cup sliced almonds for topping pancakes

In a large, lidded bowl, combine the water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Set aside for five minutes or until the yeast has half an inch of head.

In large measuring cup, combine the non-dairy milk and vinegar and set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cinnamon.  Add the oil, vanilla, and flax to the non-dairy milk mixture.  Add the flour mixture to the proofed yeast and pour the non-dairy milk mixture on top.  Stir well, minding those clumps of buckwheat flour.  Cover and place in the refrigerator for 8 to 12 hours or overnight.

For pancakes: grease and preheat a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat.  When a drop of water dances on the hot surface, pour 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle for each pancake you can fit.  (Top with almonds.)  The pancakes are ready to flip when bubbles come to the top of each cake and the edges have begun to firm up.  Flip and cook until the bottoms have browned.  Remove to a plate and serve immediately.  Repeat with the rest of the batter.  Makes 8-10 pancakes.

For mini-waffles: preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease pan.  Divide batter among wells using a two-tablespoon cookie scoop.  Spread batter around to the edges of the wells.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm and a toothpick inserted at an angle comes out clean.  Let cool for two minutes then (with a spatula, they’re hot) remove from the pan to a cooling rack.  Fill the pan with the rest of the batter and repeat.  Makes two dozen mini waffles.

Serve with pumpkin pie butter and all the fixins’.