It never ceases to astonish me how wiped-out I feel the morning after a performance. It doesn’t really matter how high-stakes the venue, or technically challenging the repertoire, I always feel like I got hit by a truck the next morning. I don’t drink, so I can’t even lay the blame on a post-performance Manhattan. To help remedy this inevitable performance hangover, I like to have a nourishing but somewhat decadent brunch plan for the next day. I am a big believer in sourdough, but these waffles can also be made using yeast instead. Depending on the mood, I top these with peanut butter, maple syrup, or plain yogurt. The version in the picture has peanut butter, banana slices and a sprinkle of cardamom. If you think you deserve it, a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be divine! My son, Miles, contends that Hard Bop is the best genre to listen to for making/eating breakfast, and I tend to agree. Find the playlist he curated for me in the recipe.
Sourdough Version:
The night before, mix together in a large bowl:
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 2 cups flour of choice (I like half white/half whole-wheat)
- 2 cups buttermilk, or 1 3/4 cups milk + 1/4 cup yogurt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Cover and allow to sit at a cool room temperature overnight.
The next day: heat your waffle iron, brew your coffee, start up Hard Bop Breakfast Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7ySNso3FDax1Dk39SEdFuM?si=ba_d8urwQna4oRa-TK0puQ
Whisk together all but the soda in a separate bowl. Combine with the overnight sponge.
- 1 can pumpkin pureé
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp allspice or ground cloves
- or substitute pumpkin pie spice or Chinese 5-spice powder for the 3 separate spices
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup ground flax
- 1/4 cup melted butter
Sprinkle the soda on the mixture, then mix to incorporate. The mix will bubble a bit in a very satisfying way.
Grease the waffle maker with butter. Scoop about 1/4-1/3 cup of mix per waffle onto the iron, close and wait for the waffle maker to give its approval of doneness. Place cooked waffles on a wire rack to avoid sogginess. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
I keep cooled leftover waffles in a zip-loc bag in the freezer. They are very good chucked in the toaster for a quick breakfast, if not quite as satisfying as fresh.
To make the recipe using yeast instead of sourdough:
Substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast for the sourdough starter. Before mixing the sponge, heat the milk until warm, sprinkle the yeast on top, and allow it to dissolve before mixing in the rest of the sponge ingredients. Leave out the baking soda.
The Sated Musician 