Recipe from Smitten Kitchen
Adapted by Ligaya Mishan
- Total Time
- 1 hour preparation, plus time for proofing and refrigeration
- Rating
- 4(463)
- Notes
- Read community notes
These rich Belgian yeast waffles take a bit of planning (an overnight rise), but one bite and you'll forgive the extra time they take and the giant mess they leave on your waffle iron. With their buttery brioche consistency and pockets of sweet sticky sugar throughout, they're decidedly more dessert than breakfast. Don’t worry if you can’t find pearl sugar. Granulated sugar and water are all you need for a D.I.Y. version that yields excellent results. —Ligaya Mishan
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Ingredients
Yield:16 waffles
- ½cup (120 milliliters) nonfat milk
- 2tablespoons (25 grams) brown sugar
- 2¼teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast
- 2large eggs
- 1tablespoon (15 milliliters) vanilla extract
- 3⅔cups (460 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
- 1teaspoon (6 grams) coarse or kosher salt
- 7tablespoons (100 grams) butter, softened
- 1cup pearl sugar, or make your own (see note)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)
219 calories; 6 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 37 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 150 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
See AlsoSyn Free Breakfast Potatoes | Slimming Eats - Slimming World Recipes5-Ingredient Egg Stuffed Peppers | Easy Breakfast RecipeCinnamon-Sugar Cardamom Brioche Twist Recipe on Food5224 French Toast Recipes That Are Worth Waking Up for in the Morning Slideshow1
Combine the milk and ¼ 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.)
Step
2
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.
Step
3
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.
Step
4
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.
Step
5
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.
Tip
- To make your own pearl sugar, combine 1½ cups (300 grams) granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) water in a large saucepan and stir so the sugar clumps into small bits. Cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. The sugar should dry out but not caramelize. Pour the sugar onto a plate and let cool. Break up any large clumps with your fingers and sift through to collect 1 cup pea-size clumps, leaving smaller sugar granules behind. (Making the pearl sugar this way will produce more than required for the waffles, but the only way to get enough large clumps is to start with more sugar than you need.)
Ratings
4
out of 5
463
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Cooking Notes
Alan C Brown
Spent four years in Belgium and another ten years perfecting the waffle recipe. Try the one on the pearl sugar package. It works. You will make them again. There is not enough butter in the NYT recipe. Wish I could add a photo.
Axelp
All you haters are nuts. These taste correct. I lived in Belgium for 3 years when I was a kid and ate a lot of gaufres so I know what they are supposed to taste like. It's true that the overnight rise is probably not needed. I'll try the Lars recipe too but it is not very different from this recipe.
Caity P
I ALMOST didn’t make this after I read all of the notes. But I’m so glad I stuck with it. Sure it takes a little time but it was worth it! The waffles were so soft and chewy and the pockets of molten sugar were incredible. Someone made a comment about them tasting like bread— they probably overcooked them. If you take them out of the waffle maker at the right time they stay fluffy and chewy and PERFECT! Stick with it guys, you can do it!
Ashley
Would using granulated sugar instead of brown sugar make a noticeable difference in the outcome of the recipe? I understand the relationshp between brown sugar and baking soda (an acid reacting with an alkaline to produce carbon dioxide = lift, whereas granulated sugar is neutral), but I am unsure here. I am just curious to understand the role that brown sugar plays (or doesn’t play) in the activation of the yeast. Thanks!
DF in France
Is there a reason for substituting nonfat milk for the whole milk normally used for a Liege Waffle? Whole milk only adds 1/2 gram a fat to each waffle in the recipe, yet also adds substantially more flavor. I hope this substitution isn’t about a fear of fat. We Americans have far too many fears about food.
PamMcG
This is not the smittenkitchen recipe and is too different to be called that. Go to the source, don’t make this adaptation.
Melody Bell
To speed up the rising process, place a wet paper towel over the bowl, and place bowl in the oven on the lowest setting. It will usually rise to double size in about 20-30 minutes. Really glad to have an overnight recipe for these now too!
Amanda
These have potential and I would try them again, but mine turned out pretty dense and dough-y. I thought maybe I had overcooked them, but if I took them off TOO early I didn't get any of the nice caramelization on the pearl sugar.
DF in France
Is there a reason for substituting nonfat milk for the whole milk normally used for a Liege Waffle? Whole milk only adds 1/2 gram a fat to each waffle in the recipe, yet also adds substantially more flavor. I hope this substitution isn’t about a fear of fat. We Americans have far too many fears about food.
PamMcG
This is not the smittenkitchen recipe and is too different to be called that. Go to the source, don’t make this adaptation.
Peter N
Thanks! This recipe looks really watered-down compared the the SK recipe.
David
I've been to Belgium and have had these at multiple locations while there. This recipe doesn't have any where near the right about of butter. I did try it and I also think the consistency of the mixture was thicker than I recall seeing in use while in Belgium.
Vida
These came out wonderful. I used 14 tbsp of butter (200g), as Smitten Kitchen originally calls for in her recipe on her blog. I also reduced the pearl sugar to just a tad under 3/4 cup (I used store bought I didn't make my own). They turned out wonderfully and just like I remember having in Belgium. It's a bit of a pain to clean the waffle iron afterwards, but worth it.
Lucianne
I agree that this recipe needs more butter and is more doughy than I like. I will try the Belgian Sugar Pearl recipe the next time!
Sam
I thought these were delicious! The waffles turned out light inside with a bread-y flavor and crispy brown outside. The bites with a ball of sugar in them are the best and well balanced by a not overly sweet dough. We served them with a little butter on top. The only tricky part was the homemade sugar clumps- making them was simple although they did take on a golden slightly caramelized hue within about 15 minutes, but the issue was trying to knead sharp little balls into the stiff dough - ouch!
Justin
Really good!
Caity P
I ALMOST didn’t make this after I read all of the notes. But I’m so glad I stuck with it. Sure it takes a little time but it was worth it! The waffles were so soft and chewy and the pockets of molten sugar were incredible. Someone made a comment about them tasting like bread— they probably overcooked them. If you take them out of the waffle maker at the right time they stay fluffy and chewy and PERFECT! Stick with it guys, you can do it!
Susan
SAF Gold package yeast (Amazon, KAF) is made for recipes higher in sugar. I think I will try it in this recipe. I found Belgian Pearl sugar at Central Market, Dallas. Happy surprise! It is also available on Amazon.
PSS
Must the milk be low fat? That would be a special purchase for me.
Charlie
I actually used filtered water instead of milk and they still came out really rich and delicious (you still put almost a whole stick of butter in them, haha).
Ashley
Would using granulated sugar instead of brown sugar make a noticeable difference in the outcome of the recipe? I understand the relationshp between brown sugar and baking soda (an acid reacting with an alkaline to produce carbon dioxide = lift, whereas granulated sugar is neutral), but I am unsure here. I am just curious to understand the role that brown sugar plays (or doesn’t play) in the activation of the yeast. Thanks!
luu pham
I agree with other posters. More butter is needed in the batter.
Axelp
All you haters are nuts. These taste correct. I lived in Belgium for 3 years when I was a kid and ate a lot of gaufres so I know what they are supposed to taste like. It's true that the overnight rise is probably not needed. I'll try the Lars recipe too but it is not very different from this recipe.
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