Pâte à Choux
Difficulty Level: Advanced
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Prep Time:15 Minutes
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Cook Time:PT45M30 Minutes
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Yield:2-3 Dozen Puffs
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup water
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 tablespoon sugar (see note)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- 4-5 large eggs
- 118.29ml whole milk
- 118.29ml water
- 89.46g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 12.78g sugar (see note)
- 4.26g salt
- 295.74ml flour
- 4-5 large eggs
This is a classic French dough that creates tender airy puffs used to make cream puffs, eclairs, gougères, or Parisian gnocchi. Once you get the hang of it, this is a fantastic and versatile recipe to have in your repertoire. Bonus, they freeze well!
Preparation
STEP 1
Combine milk, water, butter, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil.
STEP 2
Add flour and stir constantly with a high-heat spatula or wooden spoon, until flour is completely incorporated, and dough forms a ball in pan (or reaches an internal temperature of 160°F), about 1-2 minutes.
STEP 3
Remove from heat and scrape into a mixing bowl. While dough is still hot, beat in eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding next (this is most easily accomplished by using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, or a hand mixer on low speed).
STEP 4
After 4 eggs are added, pull spoon or beater out of dough. If dough is loose enough to form a peak, it is done. If it is still too stiff to form a peak, beat in remaining egg.
STEP 5
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
STEP 6
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a piping bag, pipe dough onto sheet in 1-inch balls. After all puffs are piped, wet finger and gently press down peaks on tops of puffs.
STEP 7
Bake for 20 minutes-do not open oven to check on them. After 20 minutes, lower temperature to 350˚F and rotate baking sheet in oven to avoid hot spots. Bake for 5-10 minutes longer, or until puffs are golden brown and feel light and hollow.
Options
If you are using this recipe for gougères or gnocchi omit the sugar.
For gougères add 1 cup of shredded cheese (gruyere, Emmenthal, Comte, Swiss, or even cheddar) to the batter after the eggs.
For Parisian gnocchi add 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese to the batter and pipe 1-2” pieces into boiling water. Strain and fry in butter with herbs.
Your finished puffs can be filled with savory fillings for appetizers such as smoked salmon spread, shrimp salad, Boursin cheese, ham, etc.