Banana-Nut Yeast Waffles

Cut up butter into small pieces and place into a small saucepan. Heat milk and butter on low to medium low until the butter is just melted, stirring often. Once the butter is melted, remove the saucepan from heat and cool the butter and milk mixture until it is warm to the touch. While the mixture is cooling, combine flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk the butter and milk mixture into the dry ingredients in several batches. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs and vanilla until combined. Add egg mixture to the batter and whisk until combined.

Cover the bowl of batter with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. (Alternatively, if you are short on time, you can make this batter three hours in advance and allow it to rise on the countertop. However, the yeast flavor is richer with the cooler rise in the fridge.)

After the batter has had time to rise, prepare and heat your waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions. Mash bananas in a small bowl. Whisk in mashed bananas and nuts. Whisk in cornmeal, if using. The batter will deflate with whisking. Bake waffles according to your waffle iron’s instructions. (We use about 1 cup of batter for our large waffle iron. Round waffle irons will use about 1/2 cup of batter.)

Serve waffles immediately or keep in a warm oven on a wire rack until ready to serve. Any leftover waffles can be frozen in plastic wrap or in a plastic zippered storage bag and reheated in a toaster when ready to eat.