When I lived in Japan I used to eat buckwheat soba noodles all the time, and a few years ago I started making buckwheat pancakes which have become a favorite. The taste is a little bit like whole wheat or whole grain versus white flour, but not wheat-y.
Buckwheat, Naturally Gluten-Free
Buckwheat isn’t actually grain—it isn’t a grass, but a plant that produces seeds that are used like wheat, hence the name. It is completely gluten-free. So if you are trying to avoid gluten for any reason (my mother and I are a bit sensitive to gluten), buckwheat is a great option. Many recipes that use buckwheat, mix buckwheat flour with all purpose flour. You can certainly do that with this waffle recipe if you want; the gluten in the all purpose flour will help create structure in the waffles.
Making Buckwheat Waffles
With this recipe I was looking for a method that would produce waffles that were crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, with 100% gluten-free buckwheat flour. So, to help this batter achieve structure, that in my opinion a waffle demands (more so, say than a pancake), we are pulling out all the guns. We are using baking powder, which will help with leavening, as well will the combination of baking soda and plain yogurt. We are also using extra egg whites, whipping them, and folding them into the batter. The result is more air in the batter, creating a fluffy interior, and structure for the waffle, so the outside is crisp, not spongy. I made several batches of these waffles, varying the number of egg whites, whipping and not whipping the egg whites, and even trying an overnight yeast-based rise for the batter. The following recipe is what I ultimately settled on. I can eat these straight without any added syrup or butter, and still want more.
Fluffy or Crisp?
Are you a crispy waffle person? or a fluffy waffle person? When I asked the question on Facebook recently, almost everyone said “crispy”. Almost everyone else said, “crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside”. I do have friends that just want them fluffy, and could care less about the crisp. Here’s the deal, cook them in your waffle maker to a light brown, and they will be fluffy. Cook them longer, and the outside will start to get browner and crispier. When whipping egg whites it’s important that everything that touches the egg whites is very clean. Even the smallest amount of fat, butter, or egg yolk can interfere with the whip-ability (is that a word?) of the egg whites. So make sure you separate the eggs carefully, and remove any specks of egg yolk that may have wandered into the whites (it’s easiest to do that with a large piece of egg shell). You can substitute the plain yogurt and milk with buttermilk (2 cups total). As you make the batches, the batter may thicken while it sits. If you want, thin it out a bit with some water. Cook until the waffle maker indicator indicates that the waffles are ready, or wait until steam stops rising out of the waffle maker. Gently pull the waffles out with a fork.
