Liege Waffles with Pearl Sugar - Homemade Recipe

Welcome to the wonderful world of Liege waffles with pearl sugar! Forget everything you thought you knew about "Belgian" waffles. While their Brussels cousins are light and airy, these authentic Liege Belgian waffles are a whole different beast—a glorious, doughy, brioche-like treat studded with crunchy, caramelized Belgian pearl sugar. Imagine biting into a waffle with impossibly crispy, golden-amber edges giving way to a rich, soft, and slightly chewy interior. That's the magic of a real pearl sugar waffle, and we're here to show you exactly how to make them at home. Get ready for a truly addictive experience that will make you wonder where these delicious belgian waffle with pearl sugar treats have been all your life!
Best Iron Type: Deep-grid home waffle iron (flip style is ideal for even cooking)
Making authentic Liege waffles is super rewarding, but a couple of things are good to know upfront to ensure success.
Pearl Sugar 101: This is the secret ingredient! You must use Belgian pearl sugar. It's chunkier and specifically designed to caramelize beautifully without fully melting away inside the waffle. Swedish pearls are smaller and will mostly dissolve or burn, not giving you that signature crunch. You can find Belgian pearl sugar at specialty baking stores or easily online. It truly makes all the difference!
Heat & Safety: Sugar burns fast, so you'll want to start with a moderate heat setting on your waffle iron and adjust as you go. Keep an eye on your waffles! After cooking, scrape any caramelized sugar bits off your warm iron with a wooden or heat-safe plastic scraper. Then, wipe it clean with a damp cloth once it's cooled a bit. Avoid shocking a hot iron with cold water, as it can damage the non-stick coating.

Ingredients

• 500g (4 cups) All-purpose flour
• 7g (2 ¼ teaspoons) Instant or active-dry yeast
• 120ml (½ cup) Whole milk, lukewarm (around 105-115°F / 40-46°C)
• 60ml (¼ cup) Water, lukewarm (around 105-115°F / 40-46°C)
• 2 large Eggs, at room temperature
• 200g (14 tablespoons or 1 ¾ sticks) Unsalted butter, very soft but not melted, cut into 1-Tbsp pieces
• 5g (1 teaspoon) Fine salt
• 5ml (1 teaspoon) Vanilla extract
• 170g (about 1 cup) Belgian pearl sugar
• A quick note on flour: We recommend all-purpose flour for these waffles because it strikes the perfect balance between chewiness and tenderness, making it ideal for a broader range of home bakers. While bread flour would yield a chewier waffle, AP flour is more forgiving and consistently delicious.
• Why These Ratios Work
• Equipment You'll Need
  Stand mixer with a dough hook attachment
  Deep-grid waffle iron (a flip-style iron is ideal for even cooking of thick doughs)
  Kitchen scale (for precise ingredient measurements and portioning)
  Bench scraper (helpful for portioning dough)
  Wire rack (for cooling cooked waffles)

Directions

1. Activate Yeast & Start Dough: In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the lukewarm milk and water. If using active-dry yeast, sprinkle it over the liquid and let it bloom for 5-10 minutes until foamy. If using instant yeast, you can skip the blooming and add it directly with the flour in the next step. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt to the liquid mixture. Then, add the all-purpose flour.
2. Mix & Develop Dough: Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer. Mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes until a shaggy dough forms. Increase the speed to medium-low and continue mixing for 5 minutes until the dough starts to come together.
3. Incorporate Butter: With the mixer still on medium-low, begin adding the soft butter, one tablespoon at a time. Wait until each piece is mostly incorporated before adding the next. This process will take about 10-15 minutes. The dough will look messy at first, but keep going! Eventually, it will pull away from the sides of the bowl, become smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky to the touch. It should pass the "windowpane test" (you can stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through it without tearing).
4. First Rise: Remove the dough hook. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes, or until it's puffy and has nearly doubled in size. To check if it's ready, gently press a finger into the dough; if the indent springs back halfway, it's good to go.
5. Cold Rest (The Flavor Secret!): Gently degas the dough by pressing it down. Re-cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator for 8-24 hours. This cold rest is crucial for developing deep flavor and making the dough easier to handle later.
6. Add Pearl Sugar: When ready to cook, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 30-45 minutes (it will still be cool, but more pliable). Lightly flour your work surface. Turn the dough out and gently press it into a rough rectangle. Sprinkle the Belgian pearl sugar evenly over the dough. Fold the dough over itself (like an envelope fold: bottom third up, top third down) and gently knead for a minute or two to distribute the sugar without crushing the pearls.
7. Portion Dough: Using your kitchen scale, portion the dough into 85-gram (about 3-ounce) balls. Gently round each portion. Place the dough balls on a lightly floured baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 10-15 minutes to relax the gluten. This helps prevent the pearls from falling out during cooking.
8. Cook Waffles: While the dough rests, preheat your deep-grid waffle iron for at least 10 minutes. Start with a medium-low heat setting. Place one dough ball in the center of the preheated waffle iron. Close the lid and cook for approximately 4-6 minutes, or until the waffle is deep golden brown with glossy, caramelized sugar around the edges. If your first waffle scorches, lower the heat slightly and/or consider reducing the portion size a bit.
9. Hold & Serve: Carefully remove the cooked waffle with tongs. Place it on a wire rack for 2-3 minutes to allow steam to escape and the caramel to set. If batch cooking, you can keep finished waffles warm on a wire rack placed over a baking sheet in an oven set to 225°F (107°C). Serve warm and enjoy!
10. Waffle-Iron Heat Guide (Bite-Size)
    1. Flip Irons (Deep Grid): Start at a mid-setting. Cook for 4-6 minutes until deep golden with amber edges and a caramel sheen.
    2. Shallow Grid Irons: Use slightly smaller dough balls (around 70g) and a lower heat setting to prevent burning. Cooking time will be shorter, typically 3-5 minutes. Higher burn risk, so watch carefully!
    3. Signs of Done: Look for beautiful amber-colored edges, a distinct caramel sheen on the surface, and a firm exterior when gently pressed.