Crisp Belgian-Style Waffles
Waffles with a crisp, deeply grooved shell and a light, almost hollow interior. Cornflour and whipped egg whites do the work that a plain batter cannot.
Photograph credit: Waffles bake and eggs by Wallboat · CC0 1.0 · Flickr
Replacing part of the flour with cornflour lowers the batter's protein content, so less gluten forms and the shell fries crisper. Folding in separately whipped whites adds air that expands into steam, hollowing the interior and giving the contrast between crisp outside and light inside.
Crisp Belgian-Style Waffles: Step by Step
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Heat the waffle iron thoroughly — it should be at full temperature before the first waffle goes in.
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Whisk the flour, cornflour, sugar, baking powder and salt together.
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In a jug, whisk the buttermilk, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla.
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Fold the wet into the dry until only just combined; a few lumps are fine.
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Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then add the 2 tablespoons of sugar and whisk to firm, glossy peaks.
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Fold the whites into the batter in two additions with a light hand, keeping as much air as possible.
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Brush the iron lightly with oil and ladle in enough batter to cover about three-quarters of the surface — it will spread.
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Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the steam slows dramatically and the waffle is deep golden and releases easily.
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Move straight to a rack in a 100°C / 210°F oven rather than stacking, so the shell stays crisp. Serve with syrup and berries.
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A Few Pointers
- Never stack waffles. Trapped steam turns a crisp waffle limp in under a minute.
- The iron is ready when the steam stops billowing — resist opening it before then, which tears the waffle.
- Leftover waffles toast beautifully from frozen, which makes a double batch worth making.
Ingredient Swaps
- Out of buttermilk? The usual stand-in is a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar stirred into 250 ml of ordinary milk and left five minutes; it is thinner than cultured buttermilk, so a batter may need a little less of it.
What to Serve With It
Coffee, or a glass of cold milk · Serve with fried chicken for the classic Southern pairing · Finish with fresh fruit
Storage
Freeze on a tray then bag for 2 months. Reheat directly in a toaster from frozen.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. The calories include 1 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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