Description
This recipe for Belgian Liege Waffles is a delightful copycat of the famed Blue Bottle version, featuring a rich, buttery dough studded with crunchy pearl sugar. These waffles are soft, chewy, with caramelized pockets of sweet sugar and a golden crust, perfect for breakfast or brunch. The dough uses yeast for a light texture and requires a rest period to rise before cooking in a waffle maker to achieve that authentic Liege waffle experience.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk (120g), warm
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter (85g), room temperature
Dry Ingredients
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (260g)
- 2/3 cup pearl sugar (130g)
Instructions
- Activate the yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm milk, active dry yeast, and brown sugar. Whisk together gently and let it rest for 10 minutes so the yeast activates and becomes frothy.
- Form the dough: Add the flour, egg, salt, and vanilla extract to the yeast mixture. Using the dough hook attachment, knead on low speed for 3 minutes until a rough dough forms.
- Incorporate the butter: Add the softened unsalted butter to the dough. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and knead for about 5 minutes until the butter is fully incorporated, and the dough becomes soft, stretchy, and smooth.
- First rise: Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size, approximately 60 minutes.
- Incorporate the pearl sugar: On a lightly floured surface, flatten the risen dough. Sprinkle half the pearl sugar over it and press gently to embed the sugar. Roll up the dough, flatten it again, and repeat with the remaining pearl sugar. Knead and stretch the dough gently to fully distribute the pearl sugar throughout.
- Preheat the waffle maker: Turn on your waffle iron and allow it to preheat for about 10 minutes to reach the correct cooking temperature.
- Divide the dough: Separate the dough into 4 equal portions to make individual waffles.
- Cook the waffles: Place one portion of dough inside the preheated waffle maker and cook until golden brown and cooked through. This typically takes about 6-7 minutes on medium heat, but times may vary depending on your machine.
- Serve and enjoy: Remove the waffle carefully, serve warm topped with Nutella and fresh berries, or enjoy them plain as a delicious treat.
Notes
- Use warm milk (not hot) to properly activate the yeast without killing it.
- The pearl sugar is essential for the authentic caramelized texture and sweetness inside the waffles.
- The dough needs adequate rising time for the best texture; don’t rush this step.
- Each waffle maker varies, so check your waffles and adjust cook time accordingly to get a golden crust.
- You can let the dough rise longer for a more developed flavor if desired.
- These waffles are best enjoyed fresh but can be reheated in a toaster or oven.
