Belgium has two great waffles. The Brussels waffle is light, rectangular and comes with toppings; the Liège waffle, from the city just down the road from Spa, needs nothing at all. It is made from a rich, brioche like yeast dough with nuggets of pearl sugar kneaded in at the last moment, which melt against the hot iron and turn to caramel, leaving crunchy amber patches across a soft, chewy waffle. Legend credits an eighteenth century cook to the Prince Bishop of Liège; the street vendors who sell them by the thousand today have never needed the endorsement.

The smell of Liège waffles cooking is one of the defining aromas of a Belgian Grand Prix, drifting across the campsites and spectator banks of the Ardennes. At home you need a waffle iron and a little patience while the dough rises. The reward is the best breakfast, snack or dessert in the country, depending on the hour.

The dough

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (200 ml) whole milk
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast
• 4 cups (500 g) all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter

Adding the pearl sugar and cooking

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 g) Belgian pearl sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) butter

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