The absolute greatest waffles I made along this journey were the yeasted waffles from the latest edition of King Arthur’s The All-Purpose Baker’s Companion. So which recipes actually proved to make the best waffles? Know this: If you can make them yeasted, do make them yeasted. The extra bowl, extra whisk, extra arm work, and extra cleanup just isn’t worth it. Every time I made a waffle with whipped whites, the surface would buckle as the waffle cooled, resulting in a wrinkly, limp waffle. And things baked with whipped egg whites have a tendency to settle after they are removed from the heat (think of a fallen soufflé). What’s more, the ideal waffle has a rigid exterior surface. But waffles are cooked in an enclosed vessel, so there’s nowhere, really, for the batter to be lifted. The whipped whites provide extra lift and create an airy finished product. Whipping egg whites for a cake, or even a pancake, makes total sense. Now, I’d like to go back to my bold, brave opening statement: When it comes to waffles, never whip your egg whites. In fact, my favorite waffle recipe (more on that guy in a minute) relies on maple syrup for sweetness, which gives the batch a flavor bump to boot. You don’t have to use standard white granulated sugar, though. Waffle recipes rely on sugar to help the surface of the waffle caramelize-cooked sugar helps the waffle get crispy and stay crispy. When you’re using melted butter, Marzalek-Kelly says it’s a good idea to heat your milk or buttermilk slightly, too, so that when the butter is added, it doesn’t resolidify into buttery clumps. And while we all need a little tenderness, that texture does seem to be in direct opposition to crispiness, no?) (For the record, I think I’m going to have to side with Richards here, since I learned in a previous conversation with baking legend Rose Levy Beranbaum that when a cake is made with oil instead of butter, it often results in a more tender crumb. That said, they both agree that a waffle made with melted butter will taste better and any minimal sacrifice to the un-crisp gods is worth opting for dairy. Richards says butter will actually give you a more crisp end product, since the natural sugars in the butter will aid in caramelization. Another source, chef Todd Richards, agrees, but here is where their opinions diverge: Marzalek-Kelly believes that a waffle made with oil will be crispier because oil results in a thinner batter. “Waffles typically contain more fat (butter or oil) than pancakes,” she explained. Molly Marzalek-Kelly, senior recipe tester for King Arthur Baking Company, told me that to understand why waffles get crisp, I first needed to understand the difference between a waffle batter and a pancake batter.

Along the way, I talked to a few waffle experts and picked up some tips that both steered my eyes toward better recipes and my technique toward better breakfasts.

Fluffy waffle recipe