Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy's Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
 
Sorghum Waffles, Fermented Two Ways
 
Waffles are a delicious way to eat more whole grains – one of the best ways to improve digestion, keep your gut biome humming, and reduce the risks of chronic disease.  When those grains are  fermented, they become even more delicious, digestible, and nutritious.  Here, I show two methods to ferment the batter. Both are simple.  All you need is time, not effort: Minutes on your part, then the microbes do all the work!  You only need a good quality non-stick waffle iron. Enjoy these waffles served sweet for breakfast, tea time, dessert, or as a savory side for supper.
 
Sorghum makes temptingly light and crispy waffles without any sugar, oil or salt. This tasty gluten-free ancient grain is high in protein, fiber, polyphenols and antioxidants. It is also very climate friendly, thanks to its heat and drought resistance, natural pest resistance, and low requirements for fertilizer.  
 
Hints
It isn't necessary to flavor the batter; eat ‘em sweet,  topped with juicy berries or savory with a gravy or chutney. If you choose to flavor the waffle batter instead, add seasonings right before cooking.  Use dehydrated powdered onion, garlic, ginger, instead of their fresh counterparts, to keep the batter light. Finely chopped tender herb leaves or a minced bit of green chili, however, would be fine.
While fermentation would provide sufficient loft for other treats like dosas or idli, waffles require more “oomph”, so we add baking powder.
Freeze any extra waffles first by flash freezing them for an hour on a cookie sheet, and then by stacking and storing them in a ziplock bag with the air squeezed out.


 
Flour Method
With this method of making fermented sorghum waffles we make a batter with whole sorghum flour and water, ferment it for quite a bit of time, and then simply mix in tapioca flour to bind it and baking flour to help it rise. It’s that simple!
 
Prep 10 minutes to mix the batter, about 36 hours to ferment
Cook 8 minutes per batch
Makes 12 waffles
 
2 cups whole sorghum flour from whole white, red, or black varieties
2 teaspoons tapioca flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
 
In a high-speed blender add the whole (not pearled) sorghum flour and 1 ½ cups cool spring (untreated) water, and blend at high speed until smooth. 
Pour the batter into a bowl or glass storage container and lightly cover with a lid. Place in an environment with a constant temperature of 80-90°F (not more!)  like a proofing box, dehydrator, or lowest yogurt setting of an instant pot.  Test your equipment’s temperature, as exceeding this range will impede fermentation.
Allow the batter to naturally be fermented by airborne beneficial bacteria and wild yeast for about 36 hours, but start checking at 30 hours. The batter is ready when it is filled with tiny bubbles, is mounded in the center, and has risen slightly in the bowl.
Preheat a non-stick waffle iron.  Heat a warming drawer or warm oven setting on low.
Gently fold in the tapioca flour, which will act as a binder, and baking powder to boost the waffles’ rise. The consistency of the batter should be like pancake batter, that is, it should be a little thick but pour in a ribbon that mounds for a few seconds on the surface before sinking.  Add a bit of water if your batter is too thick.
Pour ¼ cup into each waffle iron compartment, taking care not to overfill them, as they will spread and inflate as they cook. 
My waffle iron takes a bit longer than 8 minutes to cook the interior fully and create a golden, light, crispy crust. Your iron might be different, so do a single-waffle test first and adjust your cooking time as needed. Resist the urge to peek; wait for the waffler maker to signal that the batch is done before opening the iron.
The waffles will release easily with a little prodding on an edge using a wooden chopstick.
Move the cooked waffles to the oven to keep warm, and cook the remaining batter.
 
 
Whole Grain Method
Another way to make sorghum waffles is Indian idli-style: We first soak whole (non pearled) sorghum berries and urad dal before blending each and combining them into a batter that ferments overnight.  In this method, urad dal takes the place of tapioca starch as a binder that ensures an easy release.  We still will use baking powder to ensure a light, airy waffle.
 
Prep 10 minutes plus 6 hours to soak the dal and 12 hours to soak the whole sorghum berries,
then and 8 hours to ferment batter
Cook 8 minutes per batch
Makes up to 16 waffles
 
1 cup whole sorghum berries, white, red, or black, rinsed
1/4 cup urad dal, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
 
In separate bowls or storage containers, cover the rinsed sorghum with 2 ½ cups spring (untreated) water, and the urad dal and fenugreek seeds with 1 cup of spring water. Soak the grains for 6 hours at room temperature.
Drain each container. Add 1 cup of ice water to the sorghum. Add ½ cup of ice water to the urad dal. If you have a wet grinder, use it to separately grind the sorghum and urad dal/fenugreek grains. Otherwise, use a high-speed blender and blend at the lowest setting initially, before increasing the speed until perfectly smooth.  With either grinding method, we want the sorghum consistency to be smooth and minimally gritty. The urad dal should be whipped and light, like a mousse. Add a little more water if its consistency is pasty; it should be airy.
Pour both blended grains into a single large bowl. Whisk them for a minute or two to combine and aerate the batter.
Ferment at 86-94°F (not higher!) for about 8 hours in a proofing oven, dehydrator, and using the lowest yogurt setting of an instant pot. Test your equipment’s temperature beforehand. Begin checking at 6 hours.  When ready, the batter should be airy and foamy. It should have almost doubled in volume, and the aroma should be pleasant with a slight tang. The consistency of the final batter should be light and thick but pourable.
Preheat your non-stick waffle iron and heat a warming oven or drawer on a low setting.  Gently fold in the baking powder to boost the batter’s rise for waffles, but take care not to deflate the batter’s natural aeration.  
Pour ¼ cup of batter into each waffle compartment. My waffle iron requires a little more than 8  minutes to fully cook on the interior and develop a light, crispy golden exterior. Be patient and wait for the waffle maker to signal the batch is ready (i.e. don’t peek beforehand).
Use a wooden chopstick to loosen a corner of the cooked waffle. It should then release easily. Move the cooked waffles to the oven to keep warm, and cook the remaining batter.