Liège Waffles
Preparation:
1 – In the bowl of a stand mixer, place 500g of flour with 2 pinches of salt (at the bottom). Add 2 eggs, 35g of sugar, 8g of dried yeast (or 20g of crumbled fresh yeast), 1 tsp of vanilla extract, and 180ml of room-temperature milk. Knead for 5 minutes on low speed until the dough is smooth and rolls easily around the dough hook.
2 – Add 200g of softened butter in several additions. Knead for 10 minutes (still on low speed) until fully incorporated: the dough will remain slightly sticky at the bottom but smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, form a ball, cover (with plastic wrap and a tea towel), and let rise for 1½ to 2 hours in a warm place, until doubled in size.
3 – Incorporate 200g of pearl sugar using a dough scraper (or a few turns with a dough hook). If the dough is very soft, refrigerate it for 15 to 20 minutes. Divide the dough into 80-100g portions, shape them into balls with lightly oiled hands, place them on parchment paper, and let them rest uncovered for 30 minutes.
4 – Preheat the waffle iron. Place a ball of dough in the center of each mold, close without pressing down (leave the flap slightly ajar if needed). Cook for 3-4 minutes (turn halfway through if using a rotary waffle iron) until the waffles are golden brown and caramelized. Serve warm or let cool on a wire rack.
Tips:
– In warm weather, work with the dough while it’s still cold (a short chill in the refrigerator) to ensure clean shaping.
– The waffles freeze very well: reheat them for 5 minutes in a 170°C (340°F) oven to restore their crispness.
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