How to Make Belgian Waffles (Brussels-Style)

Crack three eggs and separate the yolks from the whites. Tip each yolk back and forth between the shell halves over a bowl so the whites slide off, or run the whites through your clean fingers and let them drip away from the yolk. Either way works.

Drop the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another. You whip the whites later for lift, so keep that bowl clean. Even a speck of yolk in the whites makes them harder to whip up.

Run three cups of all-purpose flour through a sifter into a bowl, then add a pinch of sea salt and sift it through with the flour. No sifter? A fine-mesh strainer does the same job.

Brussels-style batter needs to be smooth with no lumps, and sifting is what gets you there. It also lightens the flour so it folds into the wet ingredients without clumping.

Pour three cups of warm whole milk into your stand mixer bowl. You want it around 115 to 118F, warm to the touch but not hot. Add two tablespoons of sugar, then sprinkle a packet of active yeast evenly over the top.

Whisk it hard by hand for ten or fifteen seconds until everything is mixed in. Let it sit for eight to ten minutes until a foamy raft forms on the surface. That raft tells you the yeast is alive and working. If you are using instant yeast, you can skip the wait.

Add the three egg yolks to the milk and yeast mixture, then pour in a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a stick of melted unsalted butter. Using unsalted butter lets you control the salt yourself instead of guessing.

Fit the whisk attachment and mix on medium speed just until the yolks break up and everything blends together. A hand mixer in a large bowl works fine if you don't have a stand mixer.

Turn the mixer down to low and add the sifted flour slowly. Low speed keeps the flour from puffing up out of the bowl and dusting your whole kitchen. Once it's mostly combined, bump the speed up to medium.

Mix for two to three minutes until the batter is completely smooth with no lumps. Stop, lift the whisk, and knock it against the side to free the batter. This is the base. The egg whites come next.

Pour the batter into a separate large bowl and set it aside. Wash and dry the mixer bowl and whisk well, because any grease or batter left behind stops the whites from whipping up.

Add the three egg whites to the clean bowl and whip on medium-high for three to four minutes until you hit stiff peaks. Lift the whisk and the peak should hold its shape without drooping. It goes fast near the end, so watch it closely.

Scrape the whipped whites onto the waffle batter and fold them in gently with a spatula. Cut down through the middle, sweep along the bottom, and turn the bowl as you go. Take your time. Rushing it knocks the air out and you lose the lift you just whipped in.

Pour the batter into a container, set the lid on loosely, and let it proof in a warm spot for about an hour. A turned-off oven with just the light on holds the perfect 90F. The batter should roughly double and fill with bubbles.

Heat your waffle iron and give it a light spray of non-stick spray. Give the proofed batter a quick stir to settle it, then ladle about six ounces onto the iron. A ladle to a ladle and a half is right for most irons.

Close the lid and cook for two to three minutes until the waffle is golden and crisp on the outside. Around a five out of seven on the heat dial gives you that color without going too dark. Pull it off and repeat with the rest of the batter.

Break the waffles into wedges and pile them onto a plate. Dust them with powdered sugar through a small sieve so it lands evenly. The sugar plus the slight tang from the yeast is what makes these taste like a real Belgian waffle.

Top with fresh berries - raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, a sliced strawberry. Maple syrup or a spoonful of whipped cream works too. Serve them right away while they're hot and crisp.