Belgian Liege Waffles Recipes

LIEGE BELGIAN WAFFLES

Steps:

• Combine yeast, lukewarm milk and two table spoons of sugar into a bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes, until bubbles appear.
• Combine the flour, reminder of sugar and salt in a separate bowl and make a well in the center. Pour the bubbly yeast mixture into the well and mix until combined. Into the mixture, add eggs, one at a time.
• Add melted butter and vanilla extract to the dough. The dough will turn out sticky. Let the dough sit for about an hour in a warm place or until it doubles in volume.
• Heat the waffle iron to a medium. Place a spoonful of the dough in the middle of a waffle iron and flatten it slightly.
• Cook waffles until they turn golden brown.

LIEGE BELGIAN WAFFLES WITH PEARL SUGAR

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast and white sugar over warm milk in a small bowl. The milk should be no more than 100 degrees F (40 degrees C). Let stand for 15 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam.
• Whisk the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract into the yeast mixture until evenly blended; set aside. Stir together the flour and salt in a separate large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour the egg mixture into the well, then stir in the flour mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 95 degrees F (27 to 35 degrees C)) until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Gently mix in the pearl sugar.
• Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
• Place a baseball-size ball of dough on the preheated waffle iron. Cook waffles until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Allow waffles to cool for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

GAUFRES DE LIèGE (LIèGE BELGIAN WAFFLES)

Steps:

• Combine the lukewarm water, brown sugar, and active dry yeast in a mixing bowl. Whisk all the ingredients then let them rest for about 5 minutes and/or until the mixture is foamy.
• In a separate mixing bowl that can be used with a standing mixer, combine the all-purpose flour and salt. Mix for about 30 seconds at medium speed.
• Make a "well" in your dry mixture and then pour in the yeast mixture in the middle. Mix for 1 minute at medium speed. #SpoonTip: The "well" in the dry mixture is made so the dough when mixed will incorporate the yeast mixture in a manner that will result in the batter resembling "crumbly". If your batter is thick, you may want to start over.
• Add 1 egg to the mixture and once again mix at medium speed for about 30 seconds. Repeat this step two more times with the remaining 2 eggs. At this point your dough should look quite sticky and chunky.
• While the mixer is still running, melt the two sticks of unsalted butter. Then combine the melted butter with the vanilla extract, and pour this butter mixture into the flour mixture while again still mixing. Mix for about another minute. Make sure to pour in the butter mixture SLOWLY (if you pour it in too quickly you will end up with super soggy waffles).
• Once all the mixing is complete, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest (or proof) for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. This is so the dough can rise and the yeast can work its magic.
• After the dough has risen, add 1 cup of Belgian Pearl Sugar and fold the sugar into the batter. The dough will be VERY sticky, but make sure to really integrate the sugar.
• Prepare your waffle iron. Once it's ready and hot enough, brush some melted butter on both sides of the waffle iron. Then place about 1 cup of waffle batter on the lower portion of the waffle iron and lock in place.
• Cook waffles for about 3-5 minutes, or whatever standard timing your waffle maker has programmed. Take your waffle out and enjoy! #SpoonTip: For Waring waffle makers, like the one used in the video, it takes about 3 1/2 minutes to cook these waffles.

LIèGE WAFFLES

Steps:

• Combine the milk and 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) water in a small saucepan and heat until lukewarm, 110 to 116 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer milk mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add brown sugar and yeast and stir to combine; set aside 5 minutes. (The yeast should look foamy. If it doesn't foam, discard and try again with different yeast.)
• Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Using the dough hook attachment on your mixer, stir in all but 1 cup of the flour. Mix in salt. Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, thoroughly mixing after each addition and scraping down the bowl before adding the next. Add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix on low speed, stopping once or twice to pull the dough off the hook, about 5 minutes, or until the dough is glossy, pulls away from the side of the bowl and has gathered in a ball on the hook.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough will double in size. Stir the puffed dough with a spoon to deflate, then re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
• Remove dough from refrigerator and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in the pearl sugar (or your homemade version) a little at a time. The dough will be stiff but will become more pliable as it warms. Cut dough into 16 equal pieces with a bench scraper or chef's knife and return to the refrigerator.
• Heat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. Working with 1 or 2 balls of dough at a time (leave the rest in the refrigerator), arrange on the waffle iron and cook until golden brown all over, 2 to 5 minutes depending on your iron. Use tongs to transfer waffles to a baking sheet or cooling rack. Some of the sugar will melt out of the waffles and collect in your iron, adding an extra layer of glossy molten sugar to each waffle as you continue. Serve waffles warm.