This recipe is for those of us on the savoury side of the waffle fence. They’re also a nod to the cornmeal muffin, while staying nice and light with the Belgian waffle method. And they just happen to be Gluten Free & Dairy Free!
Remember you can start this recipe the day before you need it. Batter loves a good rest for the best results.
And don’t be deterred if you don’t have a waffle maker, this batter works just fine as a pancake. If you want a thicker pancake, hold back some of the milk.
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Finding the right corn ‘flour’ for this recipe can be a bit challenging in Australia, as we’re not so familiar with yellow corn in ‘flour’ form. This is not the ‘corn flour’ that we use to thicken sauces.
I use Australian made Maize Flour by Golden Shore, but you can really use any finely ground yellow corn meal. You just want it as close to the texture of flour that you can find. If it’s more coarsely ground, the waffles will have a slightly grainy texture.
If you want your recipe to be strictly Gluten Free, be sure to check the packaging.
Feel free to swap out demerara sugar with your preferred sugar. These waffles are not meant to be sweet, so you adjust the sugar to your liking.
By using olive oil, they are also Dairy Free, and the olive oil adds to the savoury notes in these waffles.
Separate the eggs, setting aside the whites in a clean bowl (you will need them later). Put the yolks in a 2 litre jug or bowl.
Sift the dry ingredients (maize flour, sugar, salt & baking powder) into the bowl of a stand mixer (if using one) or a large bowl.
Whisk the egg yolks, milk & olive oil together in the 2 litre jug.
With the stand mixer on low, start to add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients.
Once incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat until you have a smooth batter (1-2 minutes).
At this point, I would usually let the batter rest overnight in the fridge, keeping the egg whites in the fridge in a separate container.
When you’re ready to make the waffles, beat the egg whites until your get stiff peaks.
Gently add the egg whites to the batter using a spatula, until evenly incorporated. Don’t overmix, you want to see a few small lumps of egg whites. Those remaining air bubbles will keep the waffles fluffy.
I use about ½ cup of batter and cook the waffles for 4:10 min – 4:30 minute on medium. My waffle maker is a Breville (The Smart Waffle). The waffles are square and quite thick. You may have to adjust the amount of batter and time according to the waffle maker you use.
Remember, never use spray oil on the non-stick surface! If you keep the non-stick surface clean in between uses, it will release the waffles when they’re done. It is a bit of a trial and error process and, just like pancakes.
Belgian Style Cornmeal Waffles
Equipment
- Electric waffle maker
- Electric hand mixer
- Stand mixer (optional)
- Sieve for sifting flour
- 2 litre pouring jug (optional)
- Large & small mixing bowls
- Kitchen scale (optional)
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 300 g 2 1/3 cups maize flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
- 2 tablespoons demerara sugar
- 500 ml full cream milk
- 4 large eggs
- 160 ml olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the waffle maker. I used a medium Belgian waffle setting.
- Sift the maize flour, baking powder, salt & sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer (if you are using one).
- Separate the eggs, placing the whites in a medium sized mixing bowl & set aside. Put the yolks in a 2 litre pouring jug.
- Add the milk & olive oil to the egg yolks & whisk.
- With the stand mixer on low, start to add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Once incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat until you have a smooth batter (1-2 minutes).
- Using an electric beater, beat the egg whites until they are stiff peaks.
- Using a spatula, gently add the egg whites to the batter, mixing until evenly incorporated.
- I use ½ cup of batter for each waffle and cook the waffles for 4:10 min - 4:30 minute on medium.
