Liege Waffle (Gaufrette de Liege)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

History

The Liege waffle dates to 18th-century Liege in the Walloon region of Belgium. The recipe uses a brioche dough enriched with eggs and butter, with coarse pearl sugar worked in before pressing on the heated iron. The pearl sugar creates caramelised pockets on the outside. In Ghent the Liege waffle coexists with the Brussels variant at market stalls; the Gentse Feesten street stalls serve both, but the Liege version is more popular for eating while walking.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 8Hands-on 30 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 300g plain flour
  • 7g instant yeast
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 150g soft butter, cut in pieces
  • 100ml warm milk
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • 150g Belgian pearl sugar

Method

  1. Mix flour, yeast, caster sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, warm milk and vanilla. Mix to a rough dough.
  2. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Work in butter piece by piece over 10 minutes until fully incorporated and dough is glossy.
  3. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1.5 hours until doubled.
  4. Knock back the dough. Flatten and scatter pearl sugar over. Fold and press to distribute. Divide into 8 portions.
  5. Rest balls 15 minutes. Cook in a preheated waffle iron for 3-4 minutes per waffle.
  6. Eat warm; the caramelised sugar crust is at its best in the first 10 minutes.

Tip from the editors. Pearl sugar is not the same as regular granulated sugar; it must be coarse enough to survive the waffle iron without fully dissolving into the dough.

Where to eat liege waffle (gaufrette de liege)

Liege Waffle (Gaufrette de Liege) in Ghent

Waffles and Beer ★ 3.9

€€ Street foodBinnenstad

Waffles and Beer near the Groentenmarkt serves Belgian Brussels and Liege waffles alongside a selected list of Belgian beers. The waffle-and-beer pairing.

OrderLiege waffle with caramelised pearl sugar: the pearl sugar pockets define the authentic Liege style.

TipAlso runs waffle workshops by prior booking: a 90-minute session teaches both Brussels and Liege styles.

Directions

Vrijdagmarkt ★ 4.3

€ MarketVrijdagmarkt

Ghent's oldest market square hosts a weekly Friday morning market with fresh produce, flowers, street food and local traders in a medieval square setting.

TipArrive before 09:00 for the widest selection; Frituur Jozef nearby opens with the market for a proper frites breakfast.

Directions

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