Description
This classic Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux) recipe teaches you how to create light, airy, and golden pastries perfect for éclairs, cream puffs, or gougères. Made with simple ingredients like water, milk, butter, flour, and eggs, this versatile dough puffs beautifully in the oven to form hollow centers perfect for filling with your favorite creams or custards.
Ingredients
Scale
Liquid Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup milk
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 large egg, beaten (for brushing pastries)
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Fat
- ½ cup unsalted butter
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly brush it with water to help prevent the dough from sticking.
- Combine Liquids and Butter: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, milk, unsalted butter, salt, and sugar. Bring this mixture to a rolling boil, ensuring the butter is fully melted.
- Add Flour: Remove the pan from heat, then add the all-purpose flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball of dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Return the pan to low heat and cook the dough for an additional 2 minutes while stirring constantly to dry out the dough slightly.
- Cool and Add Eggs: Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and allow it to cool slightly. Once it has cooled enough to avoid cooking the eggs, add the beaten eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition until the dough is smooth, glossy, and fully incorporates the eggs.
- Pipe Pastries: Spoon the choux dough into a piping bag fitted with a round tip approximately 1–2 cm wide. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheet in the desired shapes—either éclairs or small choux balls.
- Brush with Egg: Lightly brush the piped dough with the beaten egg to give the pastries a shiny, golden finish. Smooth any pointed tips with your finger to prevent misshapen pastries.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack and bake at 425°F for 10 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the pastries are puffed, golden brown, and crisp.
- Cool and Pierce: Remove the pastries from the oven and immediately pierce each one with a small knife or toothpick to allow steam to escape. Cool them completely on a wire rack to maintain crispness.
- Fill and Serve: Once completely cooled, fill your choux pastries with whipped cream, vanilla custard, jam, or any preferred filling. Serve fresh for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- The key to perfect choux pastry is to properly cook the dough on the stovetop to remove excess moisture before adding eggs.
- Be sure to let the dough cool slightly before adding eggs to prevent scrambling.
- Piercing the pastries right after baking prevents sogginess by allowing steam to escape.
- Use fresh eggs for the best rise and texture.
- You can freeze baked choux pastry and fill them after thawing.
- Adjust baking times slightly depending on your oven’s calibration and the size of your piped pastries.
