AAn old-fashioned holiday meal that still feels like a special occasion today, the Belgian waffle is too often a mere fluffy cushion for mountains of whipped cream and syrupy sauce, when it deserves to be the star attraction. It may not be your Monday morning meal, but on weekends or holidays, a warm waffle is a tradition worth celebrating.
Homework 15 minutes
Rest 1 hr+
Cook 25 minutes
Does 10
6 tablespoons of melted butter (about 60g)
180 ml of milk
1 tablespoon (10g) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon light, soft brown sugaror more to taste
245g of flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal or dry polentaor 1 extra tablespoon of flour
½ teaspoon of salt
240 ml of buttermilk
1 large eggdefeated
Oilgrease
1 Make the dough well ahead
If you are going to have this for breakfast, I advise you to make the dough the night before, unless you are an early riser. You’ll also need a waffle maker, I’m afraid; there’s just no way around it, because, without one, this batter will just make pancakes (also delicious, but not waffles). You can buy electric ones, although I make mine on a simple stovetop model.
2 Add the yeast to the warm milk
Melt the butter in a pan and reserve.
Heat the milk to about blood temperature, then add the yeast and a pinch of sugar, then let stand until the surface of the milk is covered in tiny bubbles (if this doesn’t happen, your milk was too hot or the yeast is dead).
3 Mix the dry ingredients
Meanwhile, put the flour, cornmeal, or polenta, if using, in a large bowl. (The polenta is optional, but it will give the finished waffles a little more crunch—it’s often found in the specialty or world food aisles of larger supermarkets. Add another tablespoon of flour if you’re not using it.)
Add the salt and the rest of the sugar, and beat to combine.
4 Mix wet ingredients, then add to dry
Beat the buttermilk, melted butter, and egg in a pitcher (if you can’t find buttermilk, use 240ml extra milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar).
When the yeast is ready, whisk the milk mixture in the same pitcher, then gently stir it into the dry ingredients; don’t over mix or your waffles will be tough.
5 Cover and rest
Cover the bowl loosely with a kitchen towel or similar and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour, or overnight (this can be at room temperature or in the refrigerator if you prefer). I think the longer rise gives them an even better flavor, but they’ll still be good if cooked the same day.
6 Grease the waffle maker
Turn the oven on low to keep cooked waffles warm later, unless you have an audience ready to eat them as fast as you can make them.
Lightly oil a waffle iron, then turn it to medium-high heat (or, if using an electric, whatever setting the manufacturer recommends). Make sure the griddle is hot before adding any batter.
7 Cook the first waffle
Pour in enough batter to cover the bottom of the waffle plates, spreading it out with a spatula and keeping in mind that it will rise during cooking, then lower the heat a bit and close the lid (again, if using an electric waffle maker, follow the instructions below). manufacturer’s instructions). Cook for about 45-60 seconds, until golden brown on the bottom.
8 Flip and cook the other side
Flip the waffle iron over, so the other side is now on the heat (you won’t need to do this with an electric maker), and cook for up to four minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on the other side. Serve right away, or pop it in the oven to keep warm while you repeat with the remaining batter.
9 Service Tip
For a quick compote to serve on top, put 500g of berries of your choice in a medium saucepan with three tablespoons of fruit juice or water and one teaspoon of sugar or honey. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and bubble until fruit has broken down. Taste and add more sugar, or a dash of sweet spices, if you like.
