Sourdough Waffles (Beginner Friendly)

The night before:

1. Place a large batter bowl on top of a scale and 0 it out. You can make this recipe without a scale, too; just be careful how you measure the flour into the cup.
2. Fill a measuring cup with 1 cup of sourdough starter -straight out of the jar, without having freshly added water and flour (unfed)- and add it to the bowl (this is what makes it a "discard"). If using a scale, check the weight in grams.
3. On top of the starter, add the flour, the sugar, and the buttermilk. Give it a stir until the ingredients are combined, there are minimal lumps (if any), and it resembles a glue-like mixture.

Resting time:

1. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave it out on the counter for 12 hours, or overnight.

In the morning:

1. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the oil or butter until the eggs are clearly mixed (the egg whites and yolks are not separate anymore).
2. Pour the liquid mixture into the large batter bowl and give the batter a few stirs just enough to combine the sponge-like batter and the mixture.
3. Sprikle the salt and the baking soda over the top and give the mixture a few stirs to incorporate them into the batter. You'll notice some bubbling, that's normal.
4. Set the batter aside for 5 minutes while the waffle maker preheats. I usually set mine to a medium setting but they're all different. Start there and do one test waffle if necessary.
5. Once hot, use oil or melted butter with a brush to grease the waffle maker and immediately pour the batter into the waffle maker. Close it and cook, according to your settings, until it's done.
6. Serve the waffles immediately or keep them warm by covering them or in the oven, topped with your favorite syrups and toppings.