Hello there! Welcome to my new life! A stress-free, sweet-full life!

This last month was full of emotional moments, last good byes, rehearsals, graduation… I still can’t believe I’m a doctor! Thinking about how this journey started I can’t help but feel a bit homesick. There are many things I miss from my hometown, but maybe one of my fondest memories is strolling down the bustling Calle del Principe with my friends or my sister and buy Belgian style waffles at a little joint that probably would go unnoticed if you didn’t know about it.

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The sweet aroma of the waffles floods the whole street and you can always see people waiting in line to buy a waffle, even during winter time!

These waffles are special to me, so I have been working on this recipe for quite some time, I wanted to really find the recipe that brought all the memories and I think I did!

What’s different about these waffles?

There are many different types of waffles in Belgium, the recipe I bring today is typical from Liège, on the eastern part of the country. These waffles are made using yeast and dough instead of using batter and baking powder. They’re denser, smaller and FULL of aromas. Absolutely delicious!

The original recipe calls for pearl sugar that’s added after the fermentation. These sugar crystals caramelize and give the waffle it’s characteristic crunchy texture.

However, pearl sugar is sometimes difficult to find and a bit expensive, that’s why I wanted to try this recipe using cane sugar for a more affordable recipe. The result was amazing, so if you don’t want to spend the money on pearl sugar, you can still have Liège-quality waffles.

Then you add your favorite toppings: melted chocolate, whipping cream, fruits, honey… Or eat them plain, they’re sweet enough and yummy too! It’s an incredible sweet treat for the weekend and a great activity to involve kids.

They’re best served warm, but you can keep them in a Ziplock bag for a few days or freeze them and pop them into the toaster before eating them.

The recipe

Let’s get to business! This recipe takes longer time than the regular waffle because it involves a dough, so there’s going to be some kneading and fermentation times.

Once you finish the dough you can either let it ferment at room temperature until it doubles in size or put it in the fridge overnight and eat waffles for breakfast!

NOTE: When I am using cane sugar and the dough is room temperature I prefer to add it after I’ve divided the dough. If your dough is cold, you can add the sugar before dividing. Just to avoid the sugar from dissolving before the waffles are cooked. If you used pearled sugar, you can add it before dividing the dough as well, regardless of the temperature of the dough.

As always, the first step is to activate the yeast and combine all the wet ingredients. Then you add the flour and mix it until there aren’t dry flour particles and let it rest for 20-30 mins.

This is the autolysis period. During this time the flour particles fully hydrate, and the gluten proteins are ready to start developing the gluten network. These few extra minutes really make the kneading process easier, especially for enriched dough.

Knead the dough until it cohesive and start adding the butter. Like in brioche dough, this process can be tedious and sometimes it feels as if the dough will never come together, but keep kneading, and avoid adding more flour, and eventually the gluten network will be developed and the dough will be very elastic, smooth and not too sticky.

If you want to practice kneading enriched dough by hand, this is your recipe! Check the video if you want to see how I do it.

Once the dough is ready let it ferment until it doubles in size. If you prefer a cold fermentation let the dough rest at room temperature about 30 mins and then put it in the fridge.

After the dough raised to double its size, degas the dough very well, make sure there are no big air cells. Divide the dough and add the cane sugar. You don’t want to incorporate it completely into the dough. The crystals should be mostly on the outside, so they can caramelize while the waffle is cooked.

To cook the waffles follow the instructions of your waffle maker. Keep in mind that they should be cooked at least 3 minutes.

Look at this beautiful waffle! The caramelized sugar… gahh! I can smell it just by looking at the picture!

And now… topping time!

If you really want to wow your friends, your kids, or even yourself, make these Liège waffles! They won’t disappoint!

And if you want to see more of my recipes don’t forget to subscribe my YouTube channel to get a notification every time I upload a video 😉

Enjoy!