Crisp And Fluffy Waffles Recipe (Belgian Style)

I've been making my crisp and fluffy waffles at least once a week since I got my Belgian-style waffle iron, and I've finally perfected the recipe to get consistent results every time.

The not-so-secret to crisp and fluffy waffles is: cornflour. When I first bought my waffle iron second-hand from a friend, I originally just wanted to follow an existing recipe. I had specific requirements, because ever since I visited Brussels years ago, I was determined to one day make a Maison Dandoy waffle recipe that mimicked the famous waffle house' light, airy waffles that were crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside.

But, because I'm lazy, I wanted to recreate it without having to use yeast.

There were so many recipes online to choose from. But the one common ingredient in every no-yeast crisp and fluffy waffle recipe was cornflour (alongside wheat flour). But some recipes I tried were too dry, some too bland, some too soggy, some too flat. So after a lot of trial and error, I finally ended up with this recipe for the crispest, fluffiest waffles with a rich flavour.

These crisp waffles can be served any way you like them: sweet or savoury. Here I enjoyed them with vanilla skyr, berries and maple syrup.

Disclaimer: different waffle irons may produce different results. Mine is a Sage (Breville) No-Mess, but any good quality Belgian waffle maker should do. I suspect if I used this batter in my Scandinavian waffle machine it wouldn't be as crisp, but that's just because of the way that particular waffle iron works.

You can also watch me make these on my YouTube channel, Tashcakes:

Ready? Let's go.

(Makes about four Belgian waffles.)

Ingredients:

130g plain flour
30g cornflour
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 egg
80g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
230ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste

Method:

1. In a bowl or large pouring jug, stir together all the dry ingredients.

2. Make a little well in the centre of the dry ingredients, and crack the egg in the centre. Pour in the melted butter, and then gradually stir in the milk too – add the milk bit by bit to avoid lumps.

3. As soon as everything's combined stop stirring: over-stirring can make the batter tough by activating the gluten in the wheat flour.

4. If you need to, brush a little vegetable oil on the inside of your waffle iron (mine doesn't need this as it's non-stick enough). Preheat your waffle iron and cook the waffle batter according to your machine's instructions.

5. To keep the waffles crisp before serving, turn them out onto a wire cooling rack and cover loosely with kitchen paper so they don't dry out and keep a little warm.

6. Serve with your favourite toppings.

Enjoy, and have fun.