Liege Waffles

My Belgian Waffle Adventure: A Recipe for Success (and Sweetness!)

As a busy professional, finding time to bake is a luxury, but when I do, it has to be something special. This week, it was Liege waffles. Oh, my goodness, these aren't your average waffles. Forget the crisp, light texture you might be used to; these are chewy, intensely sweet, and caramelized to perfection. The secret? Belgian pearl sugar and a heavy-duty waffle iron. This was quite the baking adventure. I discovered that there is a significant learning curve. The temperature is so very important, as one can imagine.

I scoured the internet for recipes, all of which emphasized the importance of using a specific type of sugar and a heavy cast iron waffle iron. Let me tell you, my kitchen has never felt quite as exciting! This was a bit of a learning process. The amount of sugar was significant. After my first attempt, I even considered using half the amount, but thankfully I didn't. The chewy texture was a result of the incredible amount of sugar. It also adds a distinct level of flavor.

The recipe itself involved a few stages, starting with a yeast-based dough that needed several hours to rise. Then came the crucial step of incorporating the Belgian pearl sugar. This sugar is coarse and adds a delightful crunch to the outside, as well as enhancing the chewy inside. I will admit, this wasn't an easy process and it involved a few trials and errors before I truly felt comfortable with it. But ultimately, I believe that the effort was worth it.

One of the most challenging aspects was mastering the waffle iron's temperature. I ended up buying an infrared thermometer, which was incredibly useful in ensuring that the sugar caramelized beautifully without burning. It was worth it, the texture is incredible. Even if one does not have a professional waffle iron, I feel that the recipe would still work with a regular one with a little practice.

The final product? Absolutely divine. The waffles were perfectly chewy, with a delightfully crispy exterior and a rich, caramelized sugar coating. Topped with fresh strawberries, bananas, and a generous drizzle of hot fudge sauce (my personal favorite!), they were a true taste of Belgium in my own kitchen. It made the whole experience worth every minute.

Despite the initial learning curve and the slightly more involved process, making Liege waffles felt incredibly rewarding. The rich, caramelized flavor was phenomenal and far beyond anything I had made before. It is something I will certainly do again. The process is quite lengthy and requires several steps. However, I can't help but feel that the time and effort put into the process are far outweighed by the end result.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbs honey
• 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1/4 c scalded whole milk 110 - 115 degrees
• 2 tbs + 2 tsp water 110 - 115 degrees
• 2 c king arthur bread flour
• 1 lrg room temp. egg lightly beaten
• 1 tbs + 1 tsp light brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 8 1/2 tbs unsalted butter room temp
• 3/4 c belgian pearl sugar “lars own” brand is an excellent choice

I hope you will be inspired to try this recipe and create your own incredible taste of Belgium!

Step-by-step

• Place yeast, milk, and water into the workbowl of a stand mixer. Stir for a few seconds to moisten the yeast.
• Add the egg and 1/3 of the total flour. Mix to blend. Scrape down sides of bowl.
• Sprinkle remaining flour over the mixture, but do not stir it in. Cover and let stand 75-90 minutes (at the end of that time, you’ll notice the batter bubbling up through the cover of flour).
• Add brown sugar and salt to the workbowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed – just to blend.
• With machine on low, add honey and vanilla. Then add 2 Tbsp. of butter at a time. Mix 4 minutes at medium-low speed; scrape down sides once or twice in that period. Let the dough rest for 1 minute and then continue to mix for 2 minutes. If you measured your ingredients perfectly, the dough will be sticking to the sides of the bowl in the last minute of mixing and then, in the last 30 seconds of so, will start to ball-up on the paddle. If this does not happen, let the dough rest for 1 more minute and mix for another 2 minutes. Whatever the outcome of the extra mixing, proceed to Step 6.
• Scrape the dough into a large bowl, sprinkle lightly with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 4 hours. This step is crucial for developing the flavor.
• REFRIGERATE FOR 30 MINUTES BEFORE PROCEEDING TO STEP #8. This is essential. The yeast respiration must be slowed before continuing.
• Stir the dough down (meaning: gently deflate the gases from the dough, by pressing on it with a rubber spatula), scrape it onto a piece of plastic wrap, and then use the spatula to press the dough into a long rectangle. Fold that rectangle over on itself (by thirds – like a letter) so that you have a square of dough. Wrap it in plastic, weigh it down a bit (I put two heavy dinner plates on top of it) and refrigerate overnight.
• The next day, place the cold dough (it will be quite firm) in a large bowl and add all of the pearl sugar to a bowl. It will seem like a lot of sugar, but it’s supposed to be :) Mix it into the dough by hand until the chunks are well-distrubuted. Once mixed, divide the dough into 5 pieces of equal size.
• Shape each chunk into an oval ball (like a football without the pointy ends) and let it rise (covered loosely in plastic wrap) for exactly 90 minutes.
• If you have a professional waffle iron (meaning: it’s cast iron and weighs over 20 pounds) cook at exactly 365-370 degrees (the max temp before sugar begins to burn/decompose) for approximately 2 minutes. Give each waffle a few minutes to cool slightly before eating.
• If you have a regular waffle iron, heat the iron to 420 degrees (hint: many regular waffle irons go up to and over 550 degrees at their highest setting), place the dough on the iron, and immediately unplug it or turn the temp dial all the way down. Otherwise, the sugar will burn.