Waffle paradise

If I were Willie Wonka my life would be something like this.......  Thanks for the Christmas present.  Pretty sure that waffles are my favorite food in the world.  But not American Belgian waffles, real Belgian waffles.  Our house now smells like Brussels.   

These aren't perfect but getting pretty close.

Work in process....

The finished product.....or as I like to call it Waffletopia

Here is the recipe.....(I think I like them sweeter and a little less yeasty but because you have to make a big batch and it takes awhile trial and error is a slow process)

1 tbsp granulated sugar

3 tsp active dry yeast

1/2 cup whole milk warmed to 110-115 degrees

1/3 cup water warmed to 110-115 degrees

4 cups flour

2 eggs

4 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp pure vanilla

1 1/2 cups demerara or Belgian Pearl sugar

1. Mix milk, water, yeast and 1/2 cup of flour in a mixer for 3-5 minutes until contents have a pasty consistency.

2. Let contents sit in mixer bowl for 1 hour.  Will rise substantially in bowl.

3. Add the following ingredients to the top of mixture during the 60 minutes, without mixing into contents (let them sit on top).  Remaining 3.5 cups flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, eggs, baking powder, and salt.  

4.  After letting stand for 60 minutes add the vanilla and honey then mix for 5 min

5.  Let dough rise for 4 hours at room temperature.

6.  After dough has risen for 4 hours, stir the dough down, let all the gases deflate.  Then cover dough with parchment paper and weigh the dough down with plates and place in refrigerator overnight.

7.  The next day add the pearl sugar.  Its easiest with a dough hook in the mixer.

8.  Separate the dough into golfball sized balls

9.  Let dough balls sit with pearl sugar for 90 minutes before cooking.

10. If you have a fancy waffle iron cook dough balls at 365-375 degrees for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown with a caramelized outside.  If you have a normal waffle iron then probably a bit of trail and error....be careful not to burn the sugar.  

Let cool because caramelized sugar will be crazy hot.