Description
This Liege Pearl Sugar Waffles recipe produces rich, caramelized waffles with a soft, stretchy dough studded with sweet pearl sugar chunks. These Belgian-style waffles have a deep golden brown exterior and buttery flavor, perfect for a special breakfast or dessert treat. The dough is yeast-leavened and enriched with butter, eggs, and vanilla, creating a tender and flavorful bite with a satisfyingly crunchy sugar crust.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups pearl sugar
- Powdered sugar, for rolling dough and dusting
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, warm but not hot
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), very very soft
Instructions
- Prepare the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Stir together well and create a well in the center to prepare for the wet ingredients.
- Activate the Yeast: Warm the milk until lukewarm but not hot. Pour it into the well. Add the active dry yeast and granulated sugar, gently stirring the mixture. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the yeast becomes frothy, indicating it is activated. If not frothy, allow another 5 minutes or start over with fresh yeast.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Crack the eggs into the milk-yeast mixture and whisk lightly. Stir in the vanilla extract thoroughly to combine.
- Mix the Dough: Using a spoon or hand mixer beaters, incorporate the wet and dry ingredients together until the dough just comes together.
- Knead and Incorporate Butter: Switch to a dough hook or knead by hand. Knead the dough until it starts to form a cohesive dough. With the mixer on low, add the very soft butter 1 tablespoon at a time, ensuring each portion is fully absorbed before adding more. This will take about 5 minutes and produces a rich, stretchy dough.
- First Rise: After the butter is fully incorporated, continue kneading gently for another 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes to rise.
- Divide Dough: Prepare a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or lightly grease it. Divide the dough into 7 equal portions, approximately 7 ounces each, and place them spaced apart on the baking sheet.
- Second Rise: Lightly spray plastic wrap with nonstick spray and loosely cover the dough portions. Let them rise in a warm place for 1 hour until slightly puffed.
- Incorporate Pearl Sugar: After the second rise, divide the pearl sugar evenly among the 7 dough sections. Gently knead one portion of pearl sugar into each dough piece to distribute the sugar evenly.
- Preheat Equipment: Preheat your waffle iron according to manufacturer instructions. Also preheat your oven to 170°F and place a wire rack inside for keeping the waffles warm after cooking.
- Shape & Sugar the Dough: Place powdered sugar in a bowl. Roll each dough ball generously in powdered sugar before cooking to add sweetness and help create a delicate crust.
- Cook the Waffles: Place a sugared dough ball in the center of the preheated waffle iron—no additional greasing is needed. Press the lid down firmly and cook for 2 to 5 minutes, until the waffle is deep golden brown and caramelized on the edges.
- Keep Warm: Carefully remove the hot waffle and transfer it to the wire rack inside the warm oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining waffles.
- Serve: Dust the waffles with powdered sugar and serve warm. They are delicious on their own or topped with strawberries, Nutella, or other preferred toppings. Avoid maple syrup as it does not complement the caramelized sugar well.
- Cleanup: While the waffle iron is still hot, pour a little water onto it to dissolve burnt sugar residue. Use a brush or chopstick to gently clean as needed. Carefully pour out the water once cooled.
Notes
- Make sure your milk is warm but not hot when activating the yeast to avoid killing it.
- The butter must be very, very soft to fully incorporate into the dough; otherwise, the texture will suffer.
- Do not grease the waffle iron before cooking as the sugar caramelizes and prevents sticking naturally.
- Powdered sugar rolling helps add sweetness and create a delicate crisp outer crust.
- Keep cooked waffles warm in a low oven to serve them fresh and crisp.
- Do not use maple syrup as a topping; it does not blend well with the caramelized sugar texture.
- Cleaning the waffle iron while hot with water helps remove burnt sugar with ease.
