Stroopwafels
Stroopwafels are a specialty of the Dutch city of Gouda: two thin, crisp waffle layers sandwiching a chewy, thick cinnamon caramel syrup. The Dutch like to set one on top of a hot cup of coffee for a few minutes so the warmth softens the caramel until it oozes. Making them at home takes a bit of a deft hand when you split the waffles, but the fragrant results are well worth the effort.
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Rising or chilling
- 45 min
- Total time
- 2 hr 5 min
- Method
- Pan-cooked or waffle iron
Ingredients
For the waffle dough
For the cinnamon caramel syrup
Instructions
Step 1
Mix 425 g all-purpose flour, 6 g instant yeast, 75 g granulated sugar, 2 g ground cinnamon and 3 g salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, then add 200 g unsalted butter, melted and still warm, 60 g warm whole milk and 50 g eggs and knead with the dough hook for about five minutes. The yeast only needs to make the dough rise a little, giving the waffles a light crispness without puffing them up thick. The dough is ready when it's soft, glossy with butter and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Step 2
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest somewhere warm for about forty-five minutes. The rest relaxes the gluten so the dough presses thin easily, and gives the yeast time to build flavor. The dough is ready when it has grown by about a third and feels slightly airy when you press it.
Step 3
Put 250 g brown sugar, 125 g unsalted butter, 150 g golden syrup and 3 g ground cinnamon in a saucepan, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a gentle boil, then keep it bubbling for about two minutes more. Cooking it long enough dissolves all the sugar and gives the syrup a thick, chewy texture that won't turn gritty as it cools. The syrup is ready when it's glossy and smooth, amber in color and a thermometer reads about 112°C; turn off the heat and keep it warm.
Step 4
Divide the dough into twenty equal pieces, roll them into balls and cover them with a towel so the surface doesn't dry out. Even pieces give waffles of the same thickness that cook in the same time. You're done when the balls are about the size of a ping-pong ball with smooth surfaces.
Step 5
Heat a thin waffle iron or a pizzelle iron, place a ball of dough in the center, close the lid firmly and cook for about one to two minutes. Pressing the waffles very thin is the secret to being able to split them in half later. The waffle is ready when both sides are an even golden brown and steam stops escaping from the edges of the iron.
Step 6
As soon as you take a waffle out, set a round cutter about ten centimeters across on top to trim the edge into a neat circle, then immediately slide a thin knife into the edge and split it into two thin layers. The waffles only split while hot; after a few seconds they turn crisp and hard and break right away. You've split it well when you have two whole layers with soft, airy insides.
Step 7
Right away, spread a spoonful of warm caramel syrup over the inside of one layer, then place the other layer on top and press gently. Warm syrup sticks firmly and glues the two layers into one. The stroopwafel is finished when the syrup reaches all the way to the edges and the two layers hold together firmly.
Step 8
Lay the stroopwafels in a single layer on a rack and let them cool for about fifteen minutes. As they cool, the caramel thickens into its signature chewy texture instead of staying runny. They're ready when the outside is crisp and the syrup no longer runs out when you tilt one.
Equipment
- Waffle iron
- Stand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Small saucepan
- Kitchen scale
- Cookie cutter
- Spatula
- Wire cooling rack
- Plastic wrap
- Thermometer
Tips
- Working in pairs makes this much easier: one person cooks the waffles while the other trims, splits and fills them.
- If the waffles are hard to split, press the dough thinner or cook them a few seconds less so the insides stay soft.
- You can swap the golden syrup for honey mixed with a little molasses for a darker syrup with a deeper flavor.
Storage
Stroopwafels keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for about two weeks. Don't refrigerate them, because the caramel will harden; if the syrup gets too firm, set a stroopwafel on top of a cup of hot drink for two minutes to soften it.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The waffles crumble when you split them.
- The waffles have cooled or weren't pressed thin enough. Split each one within the first few seconds after it comes off the iron, and make the dough balls a little smaller.
- The caramel syrup is gritty or as hard as candy.
- The sugar didn't fully dissolve or the syrup cooked too long. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved before it boils, and turn off the heat as soon as the syrup has just thickened.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
