I am Adrienne Kane and I am a waffle snob. I like them light and crisp– airy almost. When they come out of the iron, and before they hit the plate, and steamy condensation sets in, the waffle must be dry and toasty, never soggy and chewy. I have found the only way to get the texture that I am seeking is with yeast. I thought that I had found the ideal raised waffle, that was until I looked back to 1896, and found one that I liked even more.

Sometimes oldies are goodies, and in the case of these raised waffles, from the Original Boston Cooking-School Cook Book 1896, this recipe is really old, so it must be really good. Right?

My first foray into the land of raised waffles was with Marion Cunningham. I had no problem waiting the requisite eight hours to let the yeast proof, and the batter rise. You just mix up the batter the night before, go to sleep, and finish it off the next morning. Cunningham’s recipe provides ethereal waffles each time, but she calls for an entire stick of butter to be melted and added to the batter.

Her addition makes a lovely, golden-brown waffle, but, dare I say it?– her waffles are a bit too buttery. The entire stick of melted butter was a bit alarming, but it was a weekend treat, so I went with it. But when I saw another recipe for raised waffles, I decided to give it a shot. The Boston Cooking School is downright abstemious in comparison, using just a tablespoon of butter, and it differs in separating the eggs, and beating the whites until stiff peaks form, and then folding them into the batter. This makes an even lighter batter, and light batter equals light waffle.

And I loved them! These waffles are everything I swoon over with raised waffles: crisp on the outside, yeasty and delicate on the inside. The perfect vehicle for maple syrup. And because of only the moderate amount of butter they were not too heavy.The recipe makes about eight waffles, depending on the size of your iron, but the batter will stay, covered in the fridge for a few days. I’ve found that the mixture gets more yeasty, and sour as time progresses– like a sourdough waffle, which I also love, but that’s another story.

Go ahead and give both recipes a try, and tell me which one you like better!

Raised Waffles 1896
adapted from The Original Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Merrit Farmer

1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 3/4 cup milk, warmed (I use whole)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 cups flour
2 eggs, separated

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. In a medium-size bowl, mix the milk, salt, and butter. Stir in the yeast mixture, and the flour. Mix until combined. Cover the bowl, and let rest overnight.

The next morning the mixture will be be bubbly. Add the egg yolks the batter, blending well. In a separate bowl, stiffly beat the egg whites. Fold into the waffle batter.

Cook as directed in your waffle iron.