How to make waffles: Buttermilk, overnight, or quick and easy batter recipes

• Recipe: Chocolate waffles with caramelised banana
• Recipe: Frank Camorra's spiced waffles
• Recipe: Jill Dupleix's buttermilk waffles with maple bacon butter

I never envisioned myself as a person who would spend $200 on a waffle maker.

Turns out I am, and the mortifying extent to which I've come to love this stainless steel beauty is tipping dangerously into character-flaw territory.

Weighing in at more than 5kg , this is one substantial appliance – it reminds me of the heavy, no-nonsense waffle maker my mother relied upon when I was a kid – and its nonstick, cast-aluminum grids make a perfectly rendered quartet of square, 2.5cm-thick waffles. The best I've ever made, without question.

With a new benchtop toy at my disposal, I find myself test-driving all kinds of breakfast waffle recipes.

So far, three have landed in the "keepers" pile. They differ from one another in terms of the availability of key ingredients, and degree of difficulty.

When I crave waffles, I invariably start with Overnight waffles, a Mark Bittman recipe that I've prepared so many times that I committed it to memory years ago. (Yes, they're even better when prepared in my fancy new waffle maker, a reflection, I'm guessing, of its deeper dimensions and more intense heating capacity.)

I've never encountered a lighter, more delicate waffle. They're notably crispy, and their mild yeast flavour is a welcome surprise. (The recipe calls for separating the eggs and beating the whites, but the batter is light enough to skip this step.)

They freeze and reheat like a dream, so leftovers are a plus. Another bonus: Overnight waffles don't require buying buttermilk. There's just one drawback: As the name suggests, the batter must be assembled eight or more hours in advance. So long, waffle spontaneity.

Enter Plain and easy breakfast quickies. Dreadful name, sure, but it's also a rare buttermilk-free waffle recipe. Which is important because when is the last time that buttermilk – a key building block for make-them-now waffles – had a place in your fridge?

Chances are, you've got these ingredients on hand, and the sturdy results are fine. More than fine, actually.

But let's face it, buttermilk – and its miraculous tenderising qualities – can have a profoundly positive impact on waffle texture.

That's when Basic buttermilk waffles come in handy. They're quick and easy (well, as convenient as beating egg whites can be, but with this formula, it's a necessary step), tender and tasty, and a reason to add a quart of buttermilk to your shopping list.

Five waffle tips

1. Skip the packaged mixes. Pulling together made-from-scratch waffles is surprisingly easy, even when the recipe calls for beating egg whites until they form stiff peaks. A hassle, yes, but it's a step that can make a significant difference in the waffles' texture.

2. Don't chill out. Butter, (real) maple syrup, fruit preserves and other garnishes should be served at room temperature.

3. Serve waffles hot out of the waffle maker. Although best served immediately, waffles can also be kept in a warm (90C-degree) oven, in a single layer, until ready to serve.

4. Make your own frozen waffles. Freeze in single layers, then reheat in the toaster. They'll beat any factory-made waffle, every time.

5. Visit the produce section or the farmers' market. Breakfast waffles are delicious when topped with fresh berries, bananas and stone fruits such as peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots.

Overnight waffles

From How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

½ tsp instant yeast

2 cups flour

3tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

2 cups milk

125g butter, melted and cooled

½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

2 eggs, separated

butter and maple syrup, to serve

1. The night before, whisk together yeast, flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, then the butter, then the vanilla extract; the batter will be loose. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside overnight at room temperature.

2. When ready to bake, preheat waffle iron. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks, then stir them into the batter.

3. In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Gently stir beaten egg whites into the batter.

4. Cook waffles, one at a time, following directions of the waffle maker manufacturer, baking until waffles are crisp and brown outside and soft inside. Serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Serves 4 to 6

Plain and easy breakfast quickies

For added flavour, stir one cup chopped pecans into finished batter. For lighter waffles, separate the egg. Add yolk to milk as directed. Beat egg whites until stiff but still glossy, then carefully fold into batter after adding melted butter. From Waffles from Morning to Midnight by Dorie Greenspan.

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

4½ tsp sugar

1 cup milk

1 egg

1½ tbsp unsalted butter, melted

butter and maple syrup, to serve

Method

1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. In another bowl, whisk together milk and egg, blending thoroughly. Pour milk and egg mixture over dry ingredients and mix with the whisk, stopping when ingredients are just combined. Stir in melted butter.

3. Cook waffles, one at a time, following directions of the waffle maker manufacturer (if batter becomes too thick upon standing, thin with a little more milk), baking until waffles are crisp and brown outside and soft inside. Serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Serves 2 to 4

Basic buttermilk waffles

From Cooking for Comfort by Marian Burros.

2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

2 eggs, separated

1¾ cups buttermilk

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

butter and maple syrup, to serve

Method

1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, then whisk in buttermilk. Add flour mixtures to buttermilk mixture and mix only to blend; do not overmix. Stir in melted butter.

3. In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites until stiff but still glossy. Fold stiff egg whites into batter; do not blend completely.

4. Cook waffles, one at a time, following directions of the waffle maker manufacturer, baking until waffles are crisp and brown outside and soft inside. Serve immediately with butter and syrup.

Serves 4

TNS