Belgian Waffle

½ tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1¾ teaspoons active dry yeast
⅓ cup lukewarm milk (stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds and let cool; if it’s too hot, it will kill your yeast)
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 sticks or 1 cup unsalted butter, melted  (I use Tnuva brand)
1 cup Belgian pearl sugar (or ½ cup Sugar in the Raw; see note)

1. In a small bowl, whisk brown sugar, honey, and yeast into the lukewarm milk and let stand for about 5 minutes, until the top of the yeast is foamy and you see little bubbles.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour and salt.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour and slowly pour in the yeast mixture. Mix at medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing for 20 to 30 seconds between each. Whisk vanilla with the melted butter.
5. Lower the mixer speed to medium and gradually add in butter mixture until smooth; the batter will be thick and very sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the batter rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about an hour and 45 minutes. (Or you can refrigerate it overnight).
6. With a rubber spatula or your hands, fold the pearl sugar into the risen batter. Cover again and let rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Do not skip this step!
7. Preheat a Belgian waffle iron and brush it with melted butter, or spray extremely well with nonstick spray, making sure to get every nook and cranny.
8. Gently deflate the batter. Using about 2 tablespoons of batter for each waffle (roughly the size of a large meatball), cook the waffles until they are golden and crisp; brush the waffle iron with melted butter between each new waffle.