How to make your waffles STICK!!

How to Make Your Waffle Stick

I completely understand that most of us do Not want our waffles to stick, but I want to approach this in a creative way, so here are the top ways to make your waffles stick.

1. Improperly heated waffle iron
2. Improper ingredients
3. Lack of cooking release
4. Checking for doneness too early

So now that I have laid out the general categories on how to make your waffle stick, let’s de-construct that a little bit so we can avoid SWS (Stuck Waffle Syndrom.)

If you have the most perfect ingredients, cooking spray and intention, an improperly heated waffle iron will not provide a good release. The magic of a waffle is that it undergoes two different cooking processes. It is both baked and fried. The baking is quite obvious, the frying part is not too obvious. In a traditional cast iron waffle maker, the oil in the batter renders out of the batter to the waffle’s surface and fries, making that crispy texture we so enjoy. If the waffle iron is not properly preheated, the oil in your batter can not do that job. You will find that an Infrared Thermometer is extremely helpful. Use it to measure the inside cook surface on both paddles of the waffle iron. We don’t really care about the exterior surface; it is secondary. Until you get to know the cooking characteristics of your waffle iron, if you do not use an IR thermometer, you are guessing. Let’s take that variable out, after all, it is the most important.
Proper ingredients are the second most important category to look at. Waffles need protein in the batter. One interesting ingredient that affects this is the choice of flour. We do not normally think of flour as a protein source. But the amount of gluten in your flour is measurable and certainly impacts how your waffle behaves. Cake flour can have as little as 6% protein, while bread flour can have as much as 14% protein. Anything made of cake flour will be lighter and fluffier than products made of bread flour. This lighter texture will allow a waffle to tear apart instead of having enough internal strength to hold together as you open your waffle iron. It is important to know that most panCAKE mixes use cake flour. Combination pancake and waffle mixes usually use this same CAKE flour, and it sets you up for disappointment. If you must use a mix or cake flour, you may find it helpful to add an extra egg as part of the milk mixture. This additional protein may be the difference between a waffle that comes out clean and waffle bits stuck fervently to your waffle iron. If you want to use alternate ingredients to make a waffle, you need to keep the protein requirement in mind. Also, remember that despite what you may see on social media, there is a difference between a waffle and a waffle shaped object. A waffle will have some type of flour, egg, dairy and oil / fat.
You must use some type of cooking release. I personally use Pam. There are plenty of folks that use a refillable oil spray bottle so they can use their own preferred oil. Seasoning is not an issue in making a waffle that will not stick. I have actually filmed a video showing a perfect waffle release on an unseasoned waffle iron. I performed the final metal work on that waffle iron, brough it home as a gray metal unseasoned waffle iron and cooked a perfect waffle without seasoning it. However, I did spray it with Pam before adding any batter and I sprayed the outside as it was cooking. So, it actually self seasoned as I was cooking. That waffle iron is my personal Great Belgian Waffle Iron. A quick note, be sure to completely preheat your waffle iron before spraying with oil or Pam. I don’t recommend butter because the smoke point for butter is 300-350 degrees F, well below our target cooking temperature. If your waffle iron is properly preheated, you will smoke out your kitchen. Also, a spray on product allows you to use much less product than if you were to brush on an oil while getting very even coverage and a faster application.
We are often anxious to get that first waffle, but patience is a virtue. Do not lift that handle to soon or to quickly. These are two different things. Too soon, means let the bulk of the escaping steam subside. To quickly means to open the waffle iron gently. If you meet resistance, it is not ready to open. Sometimes, you may hold slight upwards pressure and you can feel the waffle release. If I am cooking a non-standard waffle that may have high sugar content or for some reason does not want to yield, you can tweak the spring handle a little like a toddler playing with a door stop spring. The vibration can help break the waffle loose.
These points are applicable to all traditional waffle irons, so if you have an antique Griswold or Wagner, this guidance will help you keep those wonderfully historic pieces serve your family.

-Tony