Belgian Waffles

Belgian Liège-Style Pearl Sugar Waffles

A dense, yeasted dough studded with Belgian pearl sugar that caramelizes into crunchy pockets inside the waffle - the street food of Liège, traditionally eaten warm with your hands.

Prep

20 min

Cook

20 min

Total

40 min

Serves

8 waffles

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (8⅘ oz) bread flour, high-protein flour gives the chewy bite; all-purpose works in a pinch
• •120 ml (½ cup) whole milk, lukewarm
• •120 ml (½ cup) water, lukewarm
• •7 g (2¼ tsp) instant yeast, one standard packet
• •2 whole (2 large) eggs, room temperature
• •75 g (5 Tbsp + 1 tsp) unsalted butter, softened, European-style cultured butter is closer to Belgian tradition
• •40 g (3 Tbsp) granulated sugar
• •1 tsp fine sea salt
• •1 tsp vanilla extract, Madagascar bourbon if possible
• •180 g (6⅓ oz) Belgian pearl sugar (perlé/gris), essential - regular sugar cubes the wrong texture; if substituting, roughly crush sugar cubes but expect smaller pockets

Steps

1. 1 Whisk warm milk, warm water, yeast and granulated sugar in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes until foamy.
2. 2 Add eggs, softened butter, vanilla and salt and whisk to combine.
3. 3 Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until a soft, sticky dough forms. Knead in the bowl (or on a lightly floured surface) for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should pull away from the bowl but stay soft.
4. 4 Cover and let rise in a warm spot 1–1½ hours, until roughly doubled.
5. 5 Punch down, fold in the pearl sugar with a spatula and reshape into a ball. Cover and rest 15 minutes.
6. 6 Divide the dough into 8 equal balls (~95 g / 3⅓ oz each). Keep covered so they don't skin over.
7. 7 Preheat a deep-pocketed Belgian/Liège waffle iron to medium–high. Brush both plates generously with melted butter (or use a non-stick spray).
8. 8 Place one dough ball in the center of each grid, close the lid and cook 2½–3½ minutes: the lid should resist opening at first, then release easily. Resist the urge to open early - opening too soon rips the waffle.
9. 9 Cook until deeply golden and the pearl sugar has melted into amber pools at the edges, registering around 190 °C (375 °F) internal at the center. If the lid won't release, give it another 30–60 seconds.
10. 10 Transfer to a wire rack (not a plate - steam softens the crust) and eat within minutes, warm, dusted with powdered sugar or piled with fresh berries and whipped cream as the Belgians do.