This happens to be one of my favorite yeasted waffles. And that has not only to do with the flavor, but because it solves a special problem that sometimes plagues foodies–craving more than one thing at once, and not knowing where to start.
Have you ever been in the mood for waffles, but at the same time you were really hankering for a slice of pizza? Not only that, but a slice of pizza with kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and warm spices?
Should you ever find yourself in that dilemma again, these treats might be your way to have the best of both worlds.
Thanks to Lisa Tirmenstein, Melissa Balick, and Tiffaney Hobson for the photos of this waffle and the spices that go into it.
Umami Mama Vegan Waffles: The Mother of Savory
This is it: The vegan waffle recipe that tastes like cheesy pizza, with savory Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and yeast-raised aroma. And it happens to be one of my favorite waffle recipes from The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook. Makes 4 (7-inch) round Belgian vegan waffles. See note regarding time for leavening.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water (see note)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup pitted and finely chopped Kalamata olives
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (finely chopped, preserved in olive oil or rehydrated)
- 1 cup soymilk or other nondairy milk
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon light or chickpea miso
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 medium cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in the water in a large non-metal bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt until well blended.
- Cover the bowl and place it in a warm location until the flour mixture has almost doubled. (See note.)
- After the flour mixture has risen, chop the olives and sun-dried tomatoes, and set aside.
- Combine the soymilk, oil, nutritional yeast, miso, flaxseed, sugar, garlic, baking powder, basil, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly, breaking up any clumps of miso.
- Pour the soymilk and oil mixture into the raised flour mixture and stir until well blended. Fold in the olives and sun-dried tomatoes, and let stand for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the waffle iron for 3 to 5 minutes while the batter is standing.
- Spray both grids of the waffle iron with oil. Pour or ladle the batter into the center of the iron, covering no more than two-thirds of the iron’s surface for the first waffle. Adjust the amount as needed for subsequent waffles.
- Bake each waffle for 4 to 6 minutes, or until it can be removed easily, spraying the waffle iron grids with oil prior to each waffle.
Notes
This is a yeast-raised waffle; prep time does not include dough leavening time. Begin at least 1½ hours in advance of baking the waffles if you are using quick-rise yeast, or at least 3 hours if you are using yeast with a standard rise time.
Use water that's warmer than lukewarm, but it should be cool enough so that it doesn't burn when dripped on your wrist. Warmth encourages the yeast to work, but too much heat can damage them.
You can use your oven for dough leavening. Make sure the oven rack is low enough for the bowl to fit. Turn the oven on for one to two minutes at 200 degrees F. Turn off the oven, place the covered bowl on the rack, and close the oven door. If you want to let the yeast work its magic overnight, covering the bowl and leaving it at room temperature will work fine.
Thanks to Melissa Balick of Food and Loathing for the great photo taken with the Savory Cashew-Mushroom Sauce (also from The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook), to Lisa Tirmenstein for capturing the colorful array of spices prior to mixing, and to Tiffaney Hobson for photographing her waffle with a tomato-rich topping for extra pizza-like flavor.