Cuisine: The Polish Palate
•
Course: Desserts Baking
•
Diet: High-Carb, Vegetarian, Comfort Food

Gofry (Crispy Polish Seaside Waffles)

Shatteringly crisp on the outside and feather-light inside, these traditional Polish waffles are a Baltic coast classic, naturally aerated with sparkling water.
Prep time 10m
Temp 200°C (392°F)
Cook time 25m
Rest time 15m
Total 50m
Yield 4
Per serving:
537 kcal
68g Carbs
13g Protein
24g Fat
By Adam Dworak

Brilliant!

You cooked this today. How did it turn out?

Maybe Later

Ingredients

Success!

Ingredients added to your shopping list.

View Shopping List Continue Browsing

Kitchen Kit

  • Waffle Iron
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Wire rack
  • Silicone spatula
  • Ladle
  • Tongs

Method

  1. Heat your waffle iron to its highest setting (around 200°C if you have temperature control). Do not rush this; a lukewarm iron guarantees soggy, blonde waffles.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, tip in the plain flour, caster sugar, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Give it a quick whisk to evenly distribute the raising agents.
  3. Separate the eggs. Add the egg yolks, milk, sparkling water, and rapeseed oil into the dry ingredients. Whisk vigorously until you form a smooth, thick batter with no dry lumps. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate and the gluten to relax.
  4. While the batter rests, chuck the egg whites into a spotlessly clean, grease-free bowl and whisk until they hold stiff peaks.
  5. Take a third of your whipped egg whites and beat them vigorously into the rested batter to loosen it up. Then, gently fold the remaining egg whites into the mixture using a silicone spatula. Keep the motion light—you want to retain all those trapped air bubbles.
  6. Ladle the batter onto the screaming hot waffle iron. Close the lid and cook for 4-5 minutes. Do not peek early, or you will tear the waffles apart. They are ready when they are deep golden brown and the steam has stopped billowing out.
  7. Use tongs to immediately transfer the cooked waffles to a wire cooling rack to steam dry. Repeat until all the batter is used. Serve piled high with whipped cream and fruit.
Chef's Note & Storage
Best eaten immediately. Cool completely on a wire rack before freezing leftovers in a zip-lock bag for up to 1 month. Reheat directly in a toaster to revive the crunch; never microwave.
00:00

The Polish Riviera on a Plate

If you have ever walked along the promenades of the Baltic coast—from Sopot to Kołobrzeg—you know the scent. It is a sweet, vanilla-laced perfume of hot batter hitting scorching iron. Gofry are not just waffles; they are a cultural institution in Poland. A proper Polish gofr must be structurally sound—shatteringly crisp on the outside, yet feather-light and airy on the inside. This isn't a dense, heavy breakfast waffle that collapses under the weight of syrup. It is a sturdy canvas engineered specifically to hold mountains of bita śmietana (whipped cream) and tart fruit compote without turning into a soggy mess.

CHEF'S SECRET: The secret to the iconic Baltic crunch is twofold. First, swap half your milk for heavily carbonated sparkling water—the bubbles aerate the batter and fry the edges to a crisp. Second, whip the egg whites separately. It takes an extra two minutes, but it transforms a heavy pancake batter into a soufflé-like marvel.

❖

The Rule of the Rack

The greatest tragedy in waffle making happens exactly three seconds after the waffle leaves the iron. If you dump a piping-hot gofr onto a flat plate, the steam escaping from its blistering crust has nowhere to go. It immediately condensates, turning your beautifully crisp waffle into a wet sponge. You must always—without exception—transfer your cooked waffles directly to a wire cooling rack. Let them breathe for at least sixty seconds before piling on your toppings.

Back to Cookbook

Cook’s Notes & Discussion

Be the first to leave a note on this recipe.

Leave a note or ask a question

Gofry (Crispy Polish Seaside Waffles)
Cuisine:The Polish Palate
Course:Desserts, Baking
Diet:High-Carb, Vegetarian, Comfort Food

Gofry (Crispy Polish Seaside Waffles)

By Adam Dworak

Shatteringly crisp on the outside and feather-light inside, these traditional Polish waffles are a Baltic coast classic, naturally aerated with sparkling water.

Prep 10m
Temp 200°C
Cook 25m
Rest 15m
Total 50m
Yield 4

Kitchen Kit

  • •Waffle Iron
  • •Mixing Bowl
  • •Whisk
  • •Wire rack
  • •Silicone spatula
  • •Ladle
  • •Tongs
Per serving:
537 kcal
68g Carbs
13g Protein
24g Fat

Ingredients

  • 300 g Plain Flour
  • 250 ml Milk
  • 250 ml Sparkling Water
  • 2 pcs Eggs
  • 80 ml Rapeseed Oil
  • 30 g Caster Sugar
  • 10 g Baking Powder
  • 2 g Sea Salt

Method

Step-by-step instructions.

Chef's Note:
Best eaten immediately. Cool completely on a wire rack before freezing leftovers in a zip-lock bag for up to 1 month. Reheat directly in a toaster to revive the crunch; never microwave.
  1. Heat your waffle iron to its highest setting (around 200°C if you have temperature control). Do not rush this; a lukewarm iron guarantees soggy, blonde waffles.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, tip in the plain flour, caster sugar, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Give it a quick whisk to evenly distribute the raising agents.
  3. Separate the eggs. Add the egg yolks, milk, sparkling water, and rapeseed oil into the dry ingredients. Whisk vigorously until you form a smooth, thick batter with no dry lumps. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate and the gluten to relax.
  4. While the batter rests, chuck the egg whites into a spotlessly clean, grease-free bowl and whisk until they hold stiff peaks.
  5. Take a third of your whipped egg whites and beat them vigorously into the rested batter to loosen it up. Then, gently fold the remaining egg whites into the mixture using a silicone spatula. Keep the motion light—you want to retain all those trapped air bubbles.
  6. Ladle the batter onto the screaming hot waffle iron. Close the lid and cook for 4-5 minutes. Do not peek early, or you will tear the waffles apart. They are ready when they are deep golden brown and the steam has stopped billowing out.
  7. Use tongs to immediately transfer the cooked waffles to a wire cooling rack to steam dry. Repeat until all the batter is used. Serve piled high with whipped cream and fruit.

My Tweaks & Notes

DIGITAL PANTRY

Scan to view the high-res gallery & chef's tips.

Recipe QR

History

The Polish Riviera on a Plate

If you have ever walked along the promenades of the Baltic coast—from Sopot to Kołobrzeg—you know the scent. It is a sweet, vanilla-laced perfume of hot batter hitting scorching iron. Gofry are not just waffles; they are a cultural institution in Poland. A proper Polish gofr must be structurally sound—shatteringly crisp on the outside, yet feather-light and airy on the inside. This isn't a dense, heavy breakfast waffle that collapses under the weight of syrup. It is a sturdy canvas engineered specifically to hold mountains of bita śmietana (whipped cream) and tart fruit compote without turning into a soggy mess.

CHEF'S SECRET: The secret to the iconic Baltic crunch is twofold. First, swap half your milk for heavily carbonated sparkling water—the bubbles aerate the batter and fry the edges to a crisp. Second, whip the egg whites separately. It takes an extra two minutes, but it transforms a heavy pancake batter into a soufflé-like marvel.

❖

The Rule of the Rack

The greatest tragedy in waffle making happens exactly three seconds after the waffle leaves the iron. If you dump a piping-hot gofr onto a flat plate, the steam escaping from its blistering crust has nowhere to go. It immediately condensates, turning your beautifully crisp waffle into a wet sponge. You must always—without exception—transfer your cooked waffles directly to a wire cooling rack. Let them breathe for at least sixty seconds before piling on your toppings.