Liège Belgian Waffles

Liège Belgian waffles, sweet vanilla dreams covered with delicate crunchy caramel lace… The Liège waffle (aka gaufres de chasse) is native to the greater Wallonia region of Eastern Belgium. It’s a brioche dough with chunks of pearl sugar that caramelize on the outside of the waffle when baked. It is the most common type of waffle available in Belgium and prepared in plain, vanilla, and cinnamon varieties by street vendors across the nation. A generous amount of butter and pearl sugar is essential for creating a thin crunchy caramel crust with a soft crumb inside. My version is based on the recipe from the cookbook “Everyone Eats Well in Belgium” by Ruth Van Waerenbeek. It is straightforward to follow. The dough benefits from low-temperature fermentation in a fridge, so you can make it in advance and then serve fresh Belgian waffles for breakfast for the next 2 or 3 days. I make my waffles half size, about 3″D.

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% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Combine all the ingredients for dough #1 with a whisk. Cover with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for 45-60 minutes for initial fermentation.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, combine all the ingredients for dough #2 with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature until dough #1 is ready to continue. This dough is a thick paste.

Step 3

After the initial fermentation of dough #1, fold it into dough #2 using a spatula. Add pearl sugar.

Step 4

Mix to distribute sugar equally in the dough.

Step 5

Prepare a container with a lid. Scoop six portions of dough into it, cover, and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours before baking waffles.

Step 6

Preheat waffle maker (setting 5 for Warring Pro, it beeps and turns the green indicator on when ready). Scoop a portion of dough in the center, press, and cook for about 1.5 minutes (Warring Pro beeps when the waffle is cooked).

Step 7

A hot waffle is soft and flexible, but after a couple of minutes on a cooling rack, the caramel outer layer hardens and becomes crunchy. After that, the Belgian waffle is ready to serve.

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