Belgian Yeast Waffles

• 1 ½ cup milk - lukewarm
• 4 Tbsp butter - melted
• 2 Tbsp oil - (I use canola)
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar (optional)
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 lage egg
• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp instant yeast (active dry works fine too)

Instructions #

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, leaving room for expansion; the mixture will bubble and grow.
2. Stir to combine; it’s OK if the mixture isn’t perfectly smooth.
3. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour; the mixture will begin to bubble. You can cook the waffles at this point, or refrigerate the batter overnight to cook waffles the next day.
4. Preheat your waffle iron. Spray with non-stick vegetable oil spray, and pour 2/3 to 3/4 cup batter (or the amount recommended by the manufacturer) onto the center of the iron. Close the lid and bake for the recommended amount of time, until the waffle is golden brown. It takes us 5 to 6 minutes, using our 7" Belgian-style (deep-pocket) waffle iron.
5. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200°F oven. Serve with berries and whipped cream, if desired.

Comments and Tips #

My wife and I have tried every waffle recipe we can find and these are my favorite by a long shot (not my wife’s though). They have a fairly strong yeasty flavor and they have a chewier texture than a traditional baking powder leavened waffle. Because of the more nuanced flavor, my favorite way to enjoy these is with simple toppings. Usually, butter and syrup of course, and maybe some chopped pecans and sliced bananas at most, but many other toppings will overpower the yeasty flavor in which case, you might as well save yourself some time and make a baking powder leavened waffle.

If you don’t love the yeasty flavor, you can use like 1/2 tsp of yeast (or even leave it out altogether) and add in 1Tbsp of baking powder. Of course if you’re making this method, you’ll want to make them within an hour of mixing or you’ll lose a lot of the leavening from the baking powder. If you’re really wanting to go the extra mile, you can separate the eggs and whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks. After mixing everything else, you can fold the egg whites back in. This makes for a particularly light waffle with a crispy crust and a soft interior.For what its worth, While the difference is noticeable, I usually skip this because If I’m making this style waffle, I plan on loading it up with strawberries and cool whip or some other crazy toppings and the difference in texture is usually lost to me at that point.

Attribution #

This recipes was taken from kingarthurbaking.com Please check out their site for tips and more great recipes like this one.

Nutrition Information