10/09/2026
Most people pull waffles out of the freezer. We took them into the lab.
Because a waffle can be a toaster-ready weeknight thing, or a crisp, cloud-light, or brioche-rich project, and the difference between them isn't luck. It's a handful of variables you can control. So we broke down seven styles and every formula to answer one question: what makes them different, and how do you steer a recipe toward the exact waffle you want?
Here's how to make any waffle you want, dialed in from the first batch:
Want it crispier? Cut some flour with pure starch. Cornstarch, potato starch, or tapioca starch crisps the exterior faster and browns paler, which is how Eggo-style and Hong Kong waffles get their crackle.
Want it chewier? Go the other way. Mochiko (rice flour) gelatinizes fast and sets up chewy where wheat gluten won't. That's the whole trick behind mochi waffles.
Want it lighter? Add air. There are three ways to do it: chemical (baking powder), biological (yeast), and mechanical (whipped whites or a whipping siphon). The cloud waffle goes all-in, stacking baking powder, meringue, and a siphon for maximum lift.
Want it lacier, less cakey? More fat and longer fermentation. Yeast builds an open, baguette-like crumb, and fat disrupts the gluten so it eats lacy instead of bready.
Anyone can hand you a recipe, or a frozen waffle. We hand you the reason it works, so you can become the smartest cook you know. No waffling around.
For full recipes, head to chefsteps.com.
