Belgian waffle
Photo: Ralph Daily · CC BY 2.0

History

The two Belgian waffles are separate traditions. The Brussels waffle is a light, yeast-raised batter waffle, crisp and rectangular, served warm with icing sugar. The Liège waffle comes from a brioche-style dough enriched with chunks of pearl sugar that caramelise on the iron into a dense, sweet bite. Both are sold across Bruges, from takeaway windows like Chez Albert and Lizzie's Wafels to sit-down tearooms, and they are eaten plain as often as loaded.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 8Hands-on 30 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 250g strong bread flour
  • 10g fresh yeast or 4g instant yeast
  • 120ml warm milk
  • 1 egg
  • 125g butter, softened
  • 1 tbsp sugar, pinch of salt
  • 150g pearl sugar (nibsugar)

Method

  1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and leave 10 minutes until foamy.
  2. Mix the flour, sugar and salt, then work in the milk and egg to a sticky dough.
  3. Knead in the softened butter until smooth and glossy.
  4. Cover and prove 1 hour until doubled.
  5. Knock back and fold in the pearl sugar, then divide into 8 balls.
  6. Bake each in a hot waffle iron for 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden and the sugar has caramelised.
  7. Eat warm; the caramelised sugar crust is best within minutes of cooking.

Tip from the editors. Use proper pearl sugar, not granulated; it survives the iron and caramelises into the signature crunchy pockets.

Where to eat belgian waffle

Belgian waffle in Bruges

Chez Albert ★ 4.1

€ Street foodMarkt

Chez Albert on Breidelstraat in Bruges is a takeaway waffle window, turning out Brussels-style waffles to go, fresh off the iron with sweet toppings.

TryBrussels waffles

TipA waffle from the hatch is the on-foot order; the queue moves fast even in summer.

Directions

Lizzie's Wafels ★ 4.1

€ BelgianSint Jakobs

Lizzie's Wafels on Sint-Jakobsstraat in Bruges sells oversized homemade Liège waffles for a few euro, dense and caramelised, plenty for a cheap on-foot meal.

TryLiège waffle

TipOpen Wednesday to Sunday afternoons only. One extra-large waffle can feed two.

Directions

House of Waffles ★ 3.8

€ BelgianMarkt

House of Waffles on Wollestraat in Bruges sells Brussels and Liège waffles to go for a few euro, a cheap sweet stop steps from the Markt and the canals.

TryBelgian waffle to go

TipA plain Liège waffle is the cheapest, and the most filling. Takeaway keeps the price down.

Directions

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