These Belgian Liège waffles are made from brioche-like yeast-leavened dough with the addition of pearl sugar to create a delicious treat with a crunchy, caramelized exterior. Though they take some time to prepare, trust me when I say: they are so worth it!
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Belgian
Keyword belgian waffles recipe, liege waffles, waffles, yeast waffles
Start by activating the yeast by combining it with warm water and a teaspoon of sugar to feed the yeast. Leave for a few minutes until the top turns frothy.
In a bowl of a stand mixer attached with a dough hook, combine together the milk, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, vanilla and yeast-water mixture. Give it a stir and then add the flour.
Knead the mixture on medium-low speed for about 8-10 minutes, stopping to scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon to ensure everything is getting mixed properly.
The dough is ready when it starts pulling from the sides but is still soft and sticky.
Cover the bowl tightly with a plastic wrap and leave the dough to rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size, in a warm environment.
Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and stir in the pearl sugar either with a stand mixer, a wooden spoon or hands. Alternatively, cover the dough with plastic wrap again (without adding the sugar) and allow a second rise in the fridge over night.
Preheat the waffle iron and grease with some cooking spray or melted butter to avoid the dough sticking to it.
Scoop the dough in the middle of each "square" leaving enough room so it can spread when you press it down.
Cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and caramelized (or according to your waffle iron settings). Transfer to a wire rack to slightly cool before serving.
You can keep the cooked waffles in a warm oven while continuing to cook the rest of the dough. Serve as is or with your favorite topping.
Keep the waffles in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days, though they are the best freshly made. For freezing instructions check the post.