Gaufre lilloise fourrée

Wake the yeast gently. Warm the 100 ml milk and dissolve the 10 g fresh yeast. Use small jug. Allow 5 minutes. The yeast is dispersed and the milk is warm, not hot, at about 30 °C. Gentle warmth wakes the yeast without damaging it. Do not overheat the milk.

The flour, sugar and salt with 50 g soft butter, 90 g egg and the yeast milk. Mix the flour, sugar and salt with 50 g soft butter, 90 g egg and the yeast milk. Use mixing bowl or stand mixer. Allow 10 minutes. The dough is smooth, supple and slightly tacky, with a finished temperature near 25 °C. A soft yeast dough gives a flexible waffle that can be split after cooking. Keep raw dough away from ready-to-eat filling and do not taste it.

The dough for the first rise. Rest the dough for the first rise. Use covered bowl. Allow 120 minutes passive rest. The dough has expanded to about twice its original volume. The long first rise develops gas for the thin but tender structure. Keep the dough covered and away from excessive heat.

The dough into twenty 26.6 g pieces and shape short ovals. Divide the dough into twenty 26.6 g pieces and shape short ovals. Use scale and work surface. Allow 15 minutes. Twenty even 26.6 g pieces are shaped into short smooth ovals without exposed seams, using the full dough batch. Equal piece weight keeps cooking time consistent. Use a scraper rather than fingers near any sharp blade.

The shaped pieces before cooking. Rest the shaped pieces before cooking. Use covered tray. Allow 15 minutes passive rest. The shaped pieces look slightly fuller and relax without spreading flat. A short rest reduces spring-back in the iron. Keep the pieces covered so the surface does not dry.

The 250 g vergeoise with 120 g soft butter. Beat the 250 g vergeoise with 120 g soft butter. Use mixing bowl. Allow 5 minutes. The vergeoise filling is smooth and spreadable but not liquid. A soft filling spreads thinly without tearing the warm waffles. Rum is omitted; no alcohol is present in the filling.

A small-grid iron that cooks two thin oval waffles at a time. Preheat a small-grid iron that cooks two thin oval waffles at a time. Use small-grid waffle iron. Allow 5 minutes. Both small-grid plates are evenly hot before the first dough pieces go in. A shallow grid is necessary for the thin Lille-style profile. Keep hands clear of the hot iron and escaping steam.

The 20 waffles in ten two-waffle batches. Cook the 20 waffles in ten two-waffle batches. Use small-grid waffle iron. Work at hot waffle iron. Allow 25 minutes total across 10 two-waffle batches, about 2.5 minutes each. Keep the relevant temperature at hot iron. Each waffle is pale golden, thin and flexible enough to split without cracking. Over-browning makes the shell brittle and difficult to open. Keep fingers and loose cloth away from the closing plates and steam.

Each waffle while warm and spread about 18.5 g filling inside. Split each waffle while warm and spread about 18.5 g filling inside. Use serrated knife, towel and small spatula. Allow 20 minutes. Keep the relevant temperature at warm waffles. Each waffle is opened in one horizontal pocket without cutting through the far edge, then receives about 18.5 g of filling. Warm waffles remain flexible enough to split cleanly. Hold each hot waffle with a clean towel and cut away from the supporting hand.

The filled waffles under light pressure. Cool the filled waffles under light pressure. Use tray and baking paper. Allow 15 minutes passive cooling. The filling has set enough not to squeeze out, and the waffles remain soft rather than brittle. Light pressure keeps the two faces in contact as the butter firms. Cool before packing to limit condensation.