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1
Combine the milk and 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) water in a small saucepan and heat until lukewarm, 110 to 116 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
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2
Transfer milk mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer.
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3
Add brown sugar and yeast and stir to combine; set aside 5 minutes.
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4
(The yeast should look foamy.
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5
If it doesnt foam, discard and try again with different yeast.)
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6
Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
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7
Using the dough hook attachment on your mixer, stir in all but 1 cup of the flour.
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8
Mix in salt.
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9
Add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, thoroughly mixing after each addition and scraping down the bowl before adding the next.
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10
Add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix on low speed, stopping once or twice to pull the dough off the hook, about 5 minutes, or until the dough is glossy, pulls away from the side of the bowl and has gathered in a ball on the hook.
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11
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 2 hours.
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12
The dough will double in size.
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13
Stir the puffed dough with a spoon to deflate, then re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
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14
Remove dough from refrigerator and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
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15
Knead in the pearl sugar (or your homemade version) a little at a time.
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16
The dough will be stiff but will become more pliable as it warms.
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17
Cut dough into 16 equal pieces with a bench scraper or chefs knife and return to the refrigerator.
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18
Heat your waffle iron according to the manufacturers instructions.
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19
Working with 1 or 2 balls of dough at a time (leave the rest in the refrigerator), arrange on the waffle iron and cook until golden brown all over, 2 to 5 minutes depending on your iron.
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20
Use tongs to transfer waffles to a baking sheet or cooling rack.
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21
Some of the sugar will melt out of the waffles and collect in your iron, adding an extra layer of glossy molten sugar to each waffle as you continue.
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22
Serve waffles warm.
