These waffles are a fusion of brioche and waffles topped with caramelized crunchy sugar and they are so good, totally addictive…

– Have you ever heard of Liège waffle?

Well, I have not until I bumped into it when searching for something on the internet and started to read about it…

These are originally from Belgium and do not taste like your traditional waffle or even Belgian waffle.

– What’s the difference between Liège waffle and Belgian waffle?

Belgian waffle uses batter and Liège waffle uses yeasted dough, yes, yeasted dough like bread and has pearl sugar in it which caramelized once in the waffle iron.

– Why you need to try Liège waffle?

Because they are unique as every bite of the waffle contains crunchy caramelized sugar…which makes these waffles super special.

– How do you serve Liège waffle?

You can serve as you would serve pancakes, American waffles, Belgian waffles…but I like it plain…just as it is…

– How long it takes to make Liège waffle?

Like bread, these waffles use yeast raised dough therefore will require more time than your traditional waffles (batter), but worth the time and effort.

And because contains a lot of butter like brioche it is recommended to use a stand mixer.

– Can I freeze the Liège waffles?

Absolutely, I like to freeze the raw dough already divided and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, place the dough on the counter for 10-15 minutes and directly to the waffle iron…super easy.

– How did I come up with the recipe?

After looking into many recipes in details, I realized that the percentage of butter varied from 15-51%, yes, some recipes called for 51% of butter when compared to the flour content…I like butter, but do not wanted to have my arteries clogged while eating this waffle, so I adapted to about 35%.

– Would you like to try it?

Here we go…

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz butter (113 g)
  • 320 g bread flour
  • 1 jumbo egg (approximately 65 g)
  • 1 ½ teaspoon yeast
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 20 g honey
  • 150 ml milk
  • 150 g Belgian pearl sugar

Method:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all the ingredients except for the butter and Belgian pearl sugar.

Mix until well combined, it will be very sticky, do not add more flour.

On low speed, add the butter, and scrape down the bowl as needed, making sure that all the butter is incorporated in the dough. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, between 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the dough and place in a bowl and cover tightly with a lid or plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Punch the dough down, flatten the dough with your fingers and spread the Belgian pearl sugar on the dough. Cut the dough in half and place one on top of the other. Again, cut the dough in half and top it on the other half.

Divide the dough into approximately 16 equal pieces (50 g) and gently roll each piece into a ball.

At this point you can freeze the waffle dough…first on the baking sheet. Once the waffle balls are frozen place them into a freezer quality plastic bag and store for future use.

Or, let the waffle dough sit for 15-20 minutes and place the waffle dough on the waffle iron according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the waffle dough in the middle of the waffle iron and cook at medium low for about 4 to 5 minutes until cooked through and golden brown. The time will vary depending on the heat.  Make sure to watch carefully as the sugar can burn if the temperature is too high.

Carefully transfer the waffle to an iron rack and serve warm or keep in a warm oven of approximately 225oF.

Make sure to clean the waffle iron, while warm as the sugar will caramelized and stick to the iron once is cooled. You can use a spatula and damp cloth.

– Care for more recipes using waffle iron?  Please check on these…

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

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