- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 300 g
- 360 ml
- 85 g
- 25 g
- 4 g
- 3 g
- 1 tsp
- 4 tbsp
- 150 g
Process
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Warm the whole milk to lukewarm, about 40°C, so it feels barely warm on your wrist. Whisk in the instant yeast and 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar, then leave for 5 minutes until a light foam appears on the surface.
In a large bowl whisk the all-purpose flour, the remaining granulated sugar and the fine salt together. Pour in the milk and yeast mixture, the melted unsalted butter, the 2 egg yolks and the vanilla extract, then whisk until just smooth. The batter will be thick, like a loose pancake batter.
Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and leave at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, until the batter has risen and looks bubbly and slightly puffed.
Beat the 2 egg whites with a clean whisk or electric beaters to soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Fold them into the batter in three additions with a spatula, keeping as much air as possible.
Heat a Belgian waffle iron to medium-high and brush both plates lightly with melted unsalted butter. Pour in enough batter to fill about two-thirds of the lower plate, roughly 180 ml per waffle, and spread it gently with a ladle.
Close the lid and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until steam stops escaping from the sides and the waffle is deep golden brown and crisp. Lift it out with a fork and keep warm on a rack in a 90°C oven while you cook the rest.
Serve the waffles warm with maple syrup and sliced strawberries, or with extra butter if you prefer them plain.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common mistake is opening the iron too early: wait until the steam has almost stopped, then lift a corner with a fork. If it resists, give it another 45 seconds.
- Resting the batter is not optional. The yeast needs that hour to build the bubbles that make the pockets deep and the inside fluffy rather than dense.
- Fold the egg whites in gently with a spatula, not a whisk, and stop as soon as no white streaks remain. Overmixing knocks out the air and gives you flat, rubbery waffles.
- Do not stack finished waffles on a plate; the trapped steam softens the crust. Hold them in a single layer on a wire rack in a 90°C oven instead.
Substitutions
- whole milk→oat milk or lactose-free milk, warmed the same way
- unsalted butter→refined coconut oil, melted
- instant yeast→1.5 tsp baking powder for a quicker, less yeasty batter (rest only 15 minutes)
- maple syrup→honey or a dusting of icing sugar
Storage & reheating
Cool the waffles completely on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze in a zip-top bag with parchment between layers for up to 2 months. Reheat in a toaster or on a rack in a 180°C oven for 5 to 7 minutes until crisp again; never microwave them, as they turn soft and chewy.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why are my Belgian waffles soggy instead of crisp?
Soggy waffles usually mean the iron was not hot enough or the lid was opened too soon. Heat the iron for a full 10 minutes on medium-high, brush it with butter, and cook until the steam has almost stopped and the edges look dry and deep golden. Holding them on a rack in a 90°C oven instead of stacking them also keeps the crust crisp.
Can I make the batter the night before?
Yes. Mix the batter through step 2, cover it and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, then fold in the beaten egg whites and cook as usual. The cold rest gives an even deeper flavour and a slightly tangier batter.
Can I skip the yeast and use baking powder instead?
You can. Replace the instant yeast with 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder, skip the 60 to 90 minute rise and rest the batter for just 15 minutes before folding in the egg whites. The waffles will be good but a little less tall and yeasty than the classic version.
How do I know when a Belgian waffle is fully cooked?
Look for two signs: the steam coming from the sides of the iron has slowed to almost nothing, and the waffle is a deep golden brown with crisp, dry-looking edges. If you lift a corner with a fork and it pulls away cleanly, it is done; if it sticks or looks pale, close the lid and give it another minute.
Why did my waffles turn out flat and dense?
Flat waffles come from overmixing the batter or deflating the egg whites. Fold the whites in with a spatula in three additions and stop the moment no white streaks remain. Also check that your yeast is fresh; if the milk and yeast mixture does not foam after 5 minutes, start again with new yeast.
Can I freeze leftover Belgian waffles?
Yes, they freeze very well. Cool them completely, layer them with parchment in a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat straight from frozen in a toaster or on a rack at 180°C for 6 to 8 minutes, which brings the crust back without drying the middle.
What can I use instead of whole milk?
Oat milk, soy milk or lactose-free milk all work one-for-one at the same 360 ml. Avoid skim milk if you can, since the fat in whole milk helps the crust brown and the crumb stay tender. If you use a plant milk, choose an unsweetened one so the sugar balance stays the same.
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