1. Mix the yeast, water, and sugar in a bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes to activate the yeast. It should be foamy on top.

2. Mix the flour and salt in a separate large mixing bowl (we use the bowl of our kitchen aid stand mixer).

3. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the yeast mixture into the well and mix until blended on medium speed (we use the paddle in our KitchenAid mixer).

4. Add the eggs, one at a time.

5. Add in the melted butter a bit at a time to let it fully incorporate.

6. Add the vanilla and cinnamon if you are using it. Be sure to mix well to incorporate ingredients after each addition to the batter. Batter will be thick and VERY sticky (this is normal).

7. Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let the dough rest until it doubles in volume inside the bowl. This takes about one hour.

8. Gently fold in the pearl sugar using a rubber spatula being careful to keep the volume in the dough. Let the dough rest for 15 more minutes. While the dough is resting, heat the waffle iron. Use a waffle iron made for Belgian waffles – they are thicker.

9. Spoon about a 2″ ball of dough for each waffle if using a waffle iron that yields four square waffles. This yields a waffle that is about 4″ in diameter. Waffles will take 3 to 5 minutes to bake. (In our waffle iron, they take 3 minutes and 15 seconds on level 3.  Another reader preferred level 4.  Play around with it to get it to your liking.)

10. Serve warm right out of the waffle maker!