This is it: The recipe from The Global Vegan Waffle Cookbook that tastes like cheesy pizza. And it happens to be one of my favorite waffle recipes.

The great photo is from friend and very cool Pittsburgh Vegan Meetup Member Lisa Tirmenstein, who captured the colorful array of some of the ingredients prior to mixing. Add savory Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and yeast-raised aroma. Enjoy!

Makes 4 (7-inch) round Belgian vegan waffles

Because the dough needs time to rise, begin at least 3 hours in advance of baking the waffles or 1 1/2 hours in advance if you are using quick-rise yeast.

• 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup pitted and finely chopped Kalamata olives
• 1/3 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, preserved in olive oil or rehydrated
• 1 cup soymilk or other nondairy milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon light or chickpea miso
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 medium cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

Dissolve the yeast in the water in a large non-metal bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and salt until well blended. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm location until the flour mixture has almost doubled. (You can use your oven for this. Make sure the oven rack is low enough for the bowl to fit. Turn the oven on for one to two minutes at 200 degrees F. Turn off the oven, place the covered bowl on the rack, and close the oven door. If you wish to let the batter stand overnight, covering the bowl and leaving it at room temperature will work fine.)

After the flour mixture has risen, chop the olives and sun-dried tomatoes, and set aside. Combine the soymilk, oil, nutritional yeast, miso, flaxseed, sugar, garlic, baking powder, basil, onion powder, oregano, and cayenne in a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly, breaking up any clumps of miso. Pour into the raised flour mixture and stir until well blended. Fold in the olives and sun-dried tomatoes, and let stand for 15 minutes.

Preheat the waffle iron for 3 to 5 minutes while the batter is standing. Spray both grids of the waffle iron with oil. Pour or ladle the batter into the center of the iron, covering no more than two-thirds of the iron’s surface for the first waffle. Adjust the amount as needed for subsequent waffles. Bake each waffle for 4 to 6 minutes, or until it can be removed easily.

These crispy vegan waffles have a subtler sweetness and greater saltiness than your average cornbread, with the uncommon addition of sourdough-like overtones from yeast. Because the dough needs time to rise, begin at least three hours in advance of baking the waffles or one and a half hours in advance if you are using quick-rise yeast.

Some of our very cool neighbors recently hosted a potluck with several great vegan dishes. Jen S. actually prepared two different styles of homemade vegan chili, and asked that we bring something like cornbread. After a test waffle batch worked well with a popular store-bought vegan chili, we showed up with a waffle iron and a bowl of batter. Even better yet with the homemade chili! They also blend nicely with maple syrup and molasses.

• 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup soymilk or other nondairy milk
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespooons molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Dissolve the yeast in the water in a large non-metal bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, and salt until well blended. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm location until the flour mixture has almost doubled.  (You can use your oven for this. Make sure the oven rack is low enough for the bowl to fit. Turn the oven on for one to two minutes at 200 degrees F. Turn off the oven, place the covered bowl on the rack, and close the oven door. If you wish to let the batter stand overnight, covering the bowl and leaving it at room temperature will work fine.)

After the flour mixture has risen, combine the soymilk, oil, brown sugar, molasses, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl. Break up any clumps of baking powder or baking soda. Pour into the raised flour mixture and stir until well blended. Let stand for 15 minutes. Preheat the waffle iron for 3 to 5 minutes while the batter is standing. Spray both grids of the waffle iron with oil. Pour or ladle the batter into the center of the iron, covering no more than two-thirds of the iron’s surface for the first waffle. Adjust the amount as needed for subsequent waffles. Bake each waffle for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it can be easily removed. Makes 4 (7-inch) round Belgian waffles.