You’ll need sourdough starter, flour, eggs, oil, sugar, baking soda, and water.

Sourdough is not just another ingredient you cook with. It’s a living thing, and while it requires less attention than a plant, and far less than a pet, it does take some discipline. The care and feeding of your sourdough adds a new element to the rhythm of your life.

A few years back I started setting aside a couple of hours on Sunday morning to do some baking. The nourishing of my newly discovered adventure with sourdough fit easily into that schedule. Some days I have other baking planned, and when it’s one of those Sundays, I usually make waffles because it is one of the simplest ways to renew your starter and quickly fix a bit of breakfast for two. Here’s how I do it.
On Saturday night before I go to bed, I add ¾ cup each of flour and water to my cup of starter saved from when I used it last. I’m all for using the fewest possible number of implements so as to make cleaning up really easy. To that end, I use a quart size Pyrex cup to mix up the starter. Measure the water in the big cup then put some of it into the saved starter to thin it out and get the last drop out of the storage container. (I find the plastic containers that cottage cheese comes in to be ideal. After emptying, I just rinse the container in hot water and invert it for re-use in the morning.)
Once you have the starter and water in the cup, add the flour. (I keep a half-cup measure in my bags of flour and sugar so that it is easy to get the right amount and return the measure to the bag.) Stir it up. Cover the cup with a damp paper towel, which clings nicely to the cup, and let it stand overnight.  On Sunday morning, start warming up your waffle maker. Pour one cup of the newly nourished starter back into the storage container and put it back in the refrigerator.
Now there should be a cup or so of starter in the big Pyrex cup. To that, add an egg, two tablespoons of brown or white sugar, and two tablespoons of oil — believe it or not, olive oil works quite well in this recipe, but you could use any. Back before we worried about cholesterol, Mother used the bacon grease right out of the frying pan. Last add a teaspoon of baking soda and a few dashes of salt. Start adding flour until you have a thick batter; it will take a half-cup or slightly less. That’s it! Best of all, you’ve only dirtied a measuring cup, measuring spoon (for the oil, sugar and soda) and a stirring spoon.
Pour into waffle maker and bake till golden brown. Serve. This recipe makes about 4 small waffles. I make waffles because the leftovers heat up better in the toaster or microwave better than pancakes. But, you can use the same batter for pancakes, just cut the amount of oil down to one tablespoon.

If you are cooking for more than two, double everything you add to the starter – use two eggs, four tablespoons of sugar and oil, and two teaspoons of baking soda. Use 3/4 cup of milk or water along with enough flour, slightly less than a cup, to make a nice batter.

For variety, before adding the flour, add a tablespoon or two of cornmeal, milled flax seed or wheat germ. I sometimes use a couple of tablespoons of powdered milk for a richer flavor. One recipe I recently read used a teaspoon or two of pumpkin pie spice. I haven’t tried it, but it sounds good.

I like to serve waffles with applesauce or strawberries. Any fruit that is in season is good. Breakfast meats, sausage, bacon or ham, are a tasty addition; their salty flavor compliments the sweetness of the fruit and waffle quite nicely.

Karen Herberman works as a columnist and writer for The Bisbee Observer. She and her retired husband, Paul, live in the southeast corner of Arizona at Double Adobe where they raised eight children. Karen has enjoyed cooking since she was a child.