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A Super Lekker, Authentic (Traditional) Belgian Waffle Recipe and a Day Trip to Bruges!
4.8 from 150 votes

A Super Lekker, Authentic (Traditional) Belgian Waffle Recipe and a Day Trip to Bruges!

This traditional Belgian waffle recipe produces a rich, buttery dough with pearl sugar, resulting in waffles that are crisp on the outside and tender inside. The dough is yeast-leavened, mixed gently, and rested before shaping and cooking to develop its characteristic texture and sweetness.

Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
4 mins
Total Time
44 mins
Servings: 12
Calories: 344 kcal
Course: Bread, Baked Goods
Cuisine: Belgian

Ingredients

  • 17 oz flour (divided into 300 g (10 oz) and 200 g (7 oz))
  • 3 oz sugar
  • 2 tsp yeast dry
  • 5 oz water
  • 2 egg
  • ½ oz butter room temperature
  • 6 oz butter cut into pieces (then allow to sit at room temperature)
  • 5 oz pearl sugar found at specialty stores or Amazon, Belgian

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place 300 grams flour plus the 80 grams of regular sugar in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
  2. Warm the water until it is lukewarm (not at all hot) then add the yeast (do not add the yeast when the water is too hot or it will kill it and the recipe will be ruined) and whisk until it has melted.
  3. Add the eggs and 15 g of butter to the flour and sugar mixture in the mixing bowl, then pour in the water and yeast mixture, whisking to combine all the ingredients.
  4. Continue stirring until a sticky dough is formed.
  5. Then add the 200 grams of flour to the top, along with the 175 grams of butter pieces. Cover (without mixing anything) and allow to rest for 20 to 25 minutes.
  6. With your hands, incorporate the butter and flour into the sticky dough until all the ingredients are well combined and the dough is no longer sticky (only add a little more flour if necessary).
  7. Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and press into a 12" x 12" square shape, then sprinkle with the Belgian Pearl sugar (*the original recipe lists 300 grams of sugar, but I found this to be much too much-add more or less to your liking).
  8. Note: this is less than half of the sugar in the original recipe.
  9. Now roll the dough from one end to the other, to form a large sausage shape.
  10. Cut into 100 gram pieces and form into ball shapes and set aside to rest for 15 minutes, covered with a slightly damp kitchen cloth.NOTE: You can cook them in the waffle iron now, however, I discovered that keeping the dough pieces in the fridge overnight, then bringing them to room temperature and then cooking them worked marvelously!
  11. Heat the waffle iron. This is the tricky part as all irons are different. I have a Waring Pro, now discontinued, and heated mine to the number 2 setting. The goal is to cook the waffle without making it too dry and overcooked, but caramelizing the sugar pieces at the same time. Play with the settings until you reach a result that you like. This is how the sugar looks once it's caramelized.
  12. Place a ball of dough in the middle of the iron and cook it until it's golden brown (I cooked mine at the number 2 setting for 4 minutes) and the sugar has caramelized. Don't worry if it doesn't look pretty.
  13. Carefully remove the waffle as the caramelized sugar will definitely give you a nasty burn (I used a small flat wooden utensil, but wooden tongs would also work).
  14. Serve as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar or melted chocolate (traditional serving ideas). These can be eaten the next day; just warm them a little first, or even put them in the toaster.

Notes

  • Use grams and milliliters for ingredient measurements to ensure the best results.
  • The waffles have a rich flavor and do not require toppings to be enjoyed.
  • Activate yeast in lukewarm water, not hot, to keep it alive and effective in the dough.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 waffle Calories 344kcal (17%) Carbohydrates 50g (17%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 14g (22%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 4g (20%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 64mg (21%) Sodium 113mg (5%) Potassium 67mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 19g (38%) Vitamin A 430IU (9%) Vitamin C 0.002mg (0%) Calcium 16mg (2%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 344

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 waffle
Calories 344kcal 17%
Carbohydrates 50g 17%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 64mg 21%
Sodium 113mg 5%
Potassium 67mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 19g 38%
Vitamin A 430IU 9%
Vitamin C 0.002mg 0%
Calcium 16mg 2%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.