The Secret Ingredient To Make Store-Bought Waffle Mix Taste Homemade Has Been In Your Kitchen All Along

Making waffles from scratch can be a bit of a chore, especially if you're making them for a lazy weekend meal. Fortunately, there are several ways to elevate store-bought mix, like adding melted butter to the waffle batter to elevate both texture and flavor. Another great hack that gives waffles a distinctive homemade feel is adding yeast to store-bought mix. Using yeast as a leavening agent instead of baking powder gives the waffles a heartier texture and that distinctive, lightly fermented taste similar to what one finds in sourdough bread.

Even though waffles have a long history in America that goes back to the 1700s, they originally came from Europe. Belgium is considered synonymous with the waffle, and the popular Belgian liege waffle is made using yeast as a leavening agent. 

To give your store-bought waffle mix the Belgian upgrade, all you need is a pinch of yeast in the batter. At what point in the recipe you add it to the mix depends on the type of yeast you use, and how long you let the batter rest after adding the yeast will determine just how prominent the yeasty flavor in the waffles is. While getting the full effect of the yeast requires you to rest the batter overnight, you can also make quick modifications to the recipe to reduce the resting time to as little as 10 minutes.

In addition to how strong you want the fermented flavor to be, the resting time of your yeasted waffle batter depends on the kind of yeast you use. While active dry and instant yeast work differently, either can be used with store-bought waffle mix. If you're prepping the night before, you can use active dry yeast. Mix it with the liquid components of the batter or with a little bit of milk, wait for it to start bubbling, and combine it with the waffle mix. Cover the batter and leave it on the kitchen counter overnight. Make sure to use a large bowl, as the batter will expand significantly.

The quicker method is using instant yeast, which can be mixed directly into the batter. You'll only have to let the batter rest for about an hour instead of overnight since instant yeast works faster. Don't want to wait that long? Add a pinch of baking powder and baking soda to bring the resting time down to a mere 10 minutes. Remember that the longer the yeasted batter sits, the more prominent the yeasty flavor gets.

While the classic topping of syrup is a great way to enjoy them, heartier waffles can hold their own with more substantial fixings. For instance, you can whip up a simplified version of the sweet and savory crispy buttermilk chicken and waffles using boxed waffle mix with a pinch of yeast. While it works particularly well with boxed mix, you can also add yeast to your regular waffle batter recipe to enliven its flavor and texture.