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Liège Waffle Dough Wholesale Frozen

(contact us for pricing and purchasing account setup)

 
At THE BELGIAN KITCHEN, we specialize in making the very best authentic frozen Belgian Liège Waffle dough made from all simple quality ingredients.   Our dough is made with careful attention and quickly frozen until they're ready to be freshly cooked for your customers.  Freshly cooked Liège are simply blow away any precooked ones on the market.  All you need to do is thaw it out and make it to order. Available wholesale for your food service business and delivered in small manageable quantities.  Btw, Liège is pronounced "lee" + "edge" as 2 separate syllables.  
 
Why add these waffles to your menu?

It’s simple, to add to your bottom line.  Your food business is probably your dream business, but without profits we understand that it can be a nightmare. We want to help you realize your dreams.   Adding Liege waffles to your menu is easy, your customers will love them and most importantly you’ll increase your profits.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night are all good times to serve these yummy treats.    It's the best of both worlds; we make it easy yet you get a fantastic product to serve customers.  One of the  hottest trends right now are Liege waffles on a stick.  It's very easy to do with our dough.  Just use a tongue depressor and stick it into the dough before cooking.  

Why buy the dough?

Liège waffle dough is time consuming and expensive to make so why not buy a locally made artisan product that your customers will love.   A freshly cooked Liège waffle is far superior to any pre-made ones that are currently being sold to retailers and restaurants.  You can buy dough directly from Belgium, but you have to buy literally thousands of pieces at a time (5000+ pcs).  Instead, we sell our frozen Liege waffle dough in small manageable case packs of 120pcs and the minimum order quantity is only 1 case.   You can order whenever and however many you like since we're US based.   We have 2 factories, 1 for our small to mid size customers and another factory for our large scale customers, so we are very flexible.  Let us be your Liege waffle dough supplier behind the scenes.   If you were to make it in house, your costs really wouldn't be much less.  But if you want to go down that route, we sell the pearl sugar as well if the shipping costs are too high and you're not doing enough volume to justify buying in bulk.  

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What’s in the dough?

The dough is our family friend's recipe from Belgium.  We only use simple ingredients.  We literally use bread flour, eggs, butter, yeast, natural vanilla flavor, sugar, salt and milk.  That's it.  Most importantly, we use authentic pearl sugar imported from Belgium to give it the uniquely chewy crust and crunchy chunks. Authentic Belgian pearl sugar is made from beets and it caramelizes unlike Swedish pearl sugar that resists high heat.  If you see a waffle with white specks that look like pretzel salt, they're using the wrong type of sugar and they are definitely not Liège waffles.

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Do you use butter, vegetable oil or margarine?

We use good old fashioned BUTTER.  It's better for you and tastes amazing.  Most imported Liège waffle dough made from Belgium is made with either vegetable oil or a low quality margarine so our US made product is unquestionably a high quality product.   Butter also makes our waffles lighter in texture.  Our butter dough is truly restaurant quality as we sell to numerous cafes and restaurants across the country.   Historically, in the early 1800's when Liège waffles were invented, margarine didn't even exist and vegetable oil wasn't readily available so any manufacturer who uses margarine or oil is not truly authentic.  Even in Belgium, most street vendors buy a palm oil dough so what you're getting there is a modern mass produced representation and not the original product as it was intended to be.    

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What about costing, retail pricing and margins? THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS FACTOR TO CONSIDER.  

Our frozen Liege waffle dough varies in final landed pricing mostly due to shipping costs.  We do have volume discounts, but shipping tends to be the bigger variable in changing delivered cost.  The dough cost is $.97-$1.18 depending on volume, but most of our customers use 1 day UPS ground buying 1 case at a time which comes out to around $1.33 per dough ball.  In terms of retailing pricing, our customers tend to sell around $5 for a plain waffle with toppings adding $.50 to $2 more.  In general, food businesses want to be at 30% food cost or less.  So let's say your delivered cost per dough ball is $1.33 and retail price is $6, you would be at a 22% food cost which beats the industry standard.  

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LOW RISK
START UP TO TEST MARKET  
(MINIMAL INVESTMENT)
SHIPPING IN INSULATED CASE PACKS OR BULK FREIGHT PALLETS

You don't need to spend a small fortune on a commercial waffle iron to get started.   On our waffle irons page we have 2 affordable household waffle irons that work surprisingly well.  Of course we recommend you follow your local rules and regulations for cooking equipment so you should eventually get a real commercial machine. However, for less than $50, you can get all the equipment you need to test the market.  

 

$30 Hamilton Beach Waffle Iron

$10   Cooling Rack

$10   Waffle Fork

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$50 TOTAL 

 

If you want us to help you add waffles to your menu, we'd be more than happy to help you create menu inserts cards or additional signage. We want to help you in any way possible get started and generate more profits.  We can also consult you on how best to position the waffles within your store.  

We carefully make each Liège waffle dough ball with care and pack them in case packs of 120pcs.  Each case pack has 20 trays each having 6pcs so you can manage small quantities easily.  Case packs are available with and without insulation.

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With UPS Ground we can deliver in 1 day  to NYC, Philly, DC, Boston as well as most of New England,  the Mid-Atlantic states and west to Ohio.  In 2 business days, we can ship as far west as Iowa and as far south as Alabama and parts of Texas.  We ship daily Mon-Thurs and orders are typically filled the next business day.  

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Click map to see our UPS Ground and LTL frozen freight range.

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To export outside of the US, you will need a freight consolidator.   We do have a LTL carrier who can can ship to Canada though. 

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COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
THAWING AND RISING

Our frozen Liège waffle dough must be thawed and brought to room temperature for optimal results.  The dough will expand roughly 50-100% due to the yeast and become light/elastic.   When it is transferred to the waffle iron for cooking, it will deflate. Frozen dough can be thawed in a refrigerator overnight and then be left at room temperature for 1-2 hrs to rise.  Or, frozen dough can left at room temperature for 3-4 hrs to become ready.   Results will vary depending on your room temperature.  Also, keep covered to prevent a crust from forming.  The dough can be cooked when it's cold (refrigerator temp), but the resulting waffle will be slightly denser and the cook time slightly longer.  

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For advanced operators, commercial proofers can thaw the dough from frozen in about 1 hour.   Temp should be between 90-95F.  Any higher then the butter may leach out giving you a greasy waffle.  Commercial proofers start at about $800 so they are pricey, but if you setup a good process to thaw the dough, you don't really need one.  You can put the dough into a plastic lidded container and place it in a hot water bath (a big pot, bus pan, or sink).  In about 1-2 hours, the dough will be proofed.  Or you can jerry-rig a Heatmax warming box with a separate thermostatic control to build an affordable proofer for about $400.    

 

COOKING

Now here's the fun part.  The waffle iron should be set to around 350ºF (177ºC) initially and be preheated before cooking the dough.   We recommend putting it on a lower setting during the preheat so that you don't burn any sugar from previous cooking sessions.  The waffle iron can be brushed lightly with vegetable oil or butter if it is not already well seasoned.  Flax seed oil is the best to season cast iron.  

 

Using a fork(s), place the fully risen dough onto the iron.  No need to stretch it into an oval like most people think you need to.  Then, close the waffle iron and cook for approximately 2 to 2 1/2 minutes until golden brown.  If it takes more than 3 minutes to get a golden brown color, then your iron may not be adequate or simply not hot enough.  Transfer the cooked waffle to a cooling rack for 1-2 minutes to let the caramelized pearl sugar harden before serving. DO NOT pick up the hot waffles with your hands because the melted sugar will be molten hot.   

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After cooking several waffles, the residual sugar will build up and you'll have darker caramelized sugar.  Do not clean this off the iron.  The dark caramelized sugar does not form until you've cooked multiple waffles.  We recommend lowering the temperature a few degrees and extending the cook time to closer to 2.5-3 minutes.  By lowering the temperature, the sugar will not burn as quickly.  The very best waffles will have some of this darker tastier sugar on them and the flavor will be similar to the browned sugar on creme brulee.  

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When waffles are freshly cooked, they will be soft and doughy on the inside, chewy due to the melted sugar, and a bit crunchy/grainy from any unmelted chunks of sugar.  As it cools, the waffle will firm up and become more crumbly like pastry or cookie.  This is quite normal and some Belgians prefer a room temperature firm waffle.  The waffle will stay fresh for about 6 hours uncovered.  If covered, the waffles will stay fresh for another day or so.  If you seal them in plastic bags, they will stay keep up to 3-4 days unrefrigerated since sugar is a natural preservative.  If you freeze the cooked waffles, they'll keep for another 2-3 mos.  

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STORAGE

Room temperature dough once proofed can keep for up to 4-8 hrs.  It will overproof the longer you keep it out so it's best cook when it's fully risen.  You can return the dough to the refrigerator, but the pearl sugar will continue to melt and the dough will continue to ferment so the quality will drop off.  

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Refrigerated dough keeps for up to 72 hrs.  This is if you defrost from the freezer and keep it there the entire time.  

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Frozen dough keeps for up to 9-12mos, but best use by date is 6 mos from production.  

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CLEANING OFF SUGAR

When cooking a lot of waffles, residual sugar will build up to the point you want to clear some off.  Or at the end of service, you may want to clean the iron to be ready for the next day.  Cleaning sugar is generally the most challenging aspect of cooking these waffles.  There are a few methods and each has it's pros/cons.  None of them are perfect.  The iron has a lot to do with what methods can be used as well (see more in our iron pages).  

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The best daily cleaning tool is a specialized scraper from HVD or AMPI (we usually stock AMPI ones for $25 plus shipping).  It's shaped like a pointy trapezoid and fits in between the knuckles of the waffle iron.  It's only for cast iron since it is metal, but it works very nicely to clear melted sugar or burnt sugar.  

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If you're continuously cooking and have a lot of residual sugar that is dripping all over, place a paper towel (or wax/parchment/deli paper) in the waffle iron and close.  The sugar on the top plate will drip onto the paper and then you can dispose.   Repeat flipping  the iron 180º letting the bottom iron drip onto the paper.  If the sugar is not dripping/flowing, you can spray with a little water to loosen it up.  

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For minor clearing of sugar, you can also use a damp wash cloth with a stick or even chopstick.  Wrap the cloth around the end of the stick and carefully wipe away the excess sugar.  

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If you have a rotating iron that can be turned 90 degrees (upright), you may be able to get the sugar to drip out.  You're able to do this with HVD irons.  

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If you have a rotating non-stick iron, another good way to clear the sugar is to use water.  Place a pan under the iron and simply pour in water to let it dissolve the sugar.  Dump off the water into the underneath pan and repeat as necessary.  Be careful as the water can steam and splatter.  Also, water around an electrical device can be dangerous so be mindful of any water spilling into the electrical components.  

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If you overheat/burn the sugar or if your iron is very dirty, then you'll have to do a thorough cleaning.  The quick method is to use a chemical cleaner like Carbon Off (similar to Easy Off Oven Spray).  You apply, let it break down the carbon build up, and rinse off.  You may still have some burn sugar which will likely require a bit of scrubbing with a wire brush.  Then season before using.  If you don't want to use chemicals to clean, then you can do the burn off method which is definitely time consuming.  Commercial waffle makers with cast iron griddles can be turned up above 500ºF.  Do this for about 45 minutes and all the sugar will carbonize.  The griddle then needs to be scrubbed thoroughly with a common wire brush that can be found at hardware stores or better yet a wire brush attached to a power drill.  We highly recommend using safety goggles because the carbonized sugar will go all over the place.  Best to lay down some newspaper and be ready to vacuum.  Or do it outside.  Once all the burn sugar is removed, the iron will likely still have some black dust.  Vacuum or use a brush to remove.  Or, even rinse off with water if you can get the plates off.  Now that the iron is back down to the bare metal, you'll have to season it well before using again.  
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To season cast iron, we recommend flax seed oil which is the food equivalent to linseed oil.  If you google it, you'll find some articles about Sheryl Canter's research.  FIax seed oil is easiest found at Whole Foods as it's typically an organic product.  HVD recommends safflower oil which is a bit easier to find.  Lightly brush the oil on to the plates and heat up the iron to the max temperature in a well ventilated area until it literally smokes.  You can even use your stovetop range or BBQ gas grill.   Repeat this about 6-10 times until you get a hard black shiny coating of polymerized oil.  It should look like your grandma's cast iron frying pan.  Before cooking, let the iron get to the proper cooking temperature and coat with a neutral oil or butter.  Flaxseed oil just doesn't smell very nice.  

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MENU SUGGESTIONS
GET CREATIVE WITH TOPPINGS

Plain Liège waffles taste great, but most customers will easily be tempted by toppings.  It's a great way to increase your average ticket.  

 

Here are just a few ideas, but we really recommend choosing 5-6 preset choices as well as build your own.  Be creative and come up with some fun names that your locals will appreciate.  Waffles on a stick are also a great idea.  Just stick a tongue depressor into the dough first and then cook on the iron.  

 

  • Fruits cooked or raw (Strawberries, Bananas, Raspberries, Blueberries, Kiwi, Blackberries, Apples, Pears, Lychee, Cherries, Mangosteen, Passion Fruit)

  • Chocolate (dark, white, syrups, chips, shavings, sprinkles)

  • Whipped Cream

  • Ice Cream

  • Gelato

  • Frozen Custard

  • Frozen Yogurt

  • Soft Serve

  • Speculoos Spread

  • Nutella

  • Caramel

  • Dulce De Leche

  • Cream Cheese

  • M&M's

  • Nuts (any)

  • Peanut Butter and Jelly

  • Lemon Curd

  • Candied Bacon

  • Marscapone

  • Powdered Sugar

  • Cinnamon

 

Remember that Liège waffle dough is very much a bread dough so it can be divided easily.  If you want to take our 4oz waffle dough and cut it in half, you can make 2oz mini-waffles.  It also makes an awesome waffle cone for ice cream.

 

And don't forget about savory combinations. One of our bigger customers pairs these waffles with fried chicken which is a more gourmet version of the southern Chicken and Waffles.  KFC, Chick-fil-a and Dairy Queen have offered it as a limited menu offering.  We have some customer who also swear by pairing it with pulled pork.   

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