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Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux) Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.3 from 40 reviews
  • Author: Kimberly
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 24 pastries
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This classic Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux) recipe is a versatile French dough perfect for creating delicate éclairs, cream puffs, and profiteroles. Light, airy, and golden, these pastries are baked to perfection and can be filled with sweet or savory fillings of your choice. With simple ingredients and straightforward steps, this recipe guides you through making authentic choux dough that puffs beautifully in the oven to form hollow centers ideal for filling.

Ingredients

Liquids and Butter

  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup unsalted butter

Dry Ingredients

  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

Eggs

  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 large egg, beaten (for brushing pastries)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Oven and Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the paper lightly with water to prevent sticking.
  2. Combine Liquids and Butter: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water, milk, unsalted butter, salt, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
  3. Add Flour: Remove the pan from heat, add all the flour at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Return the pan to low heat and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly to dry the dough slightly.
  4. Cool and Add Eggs: Transfer the dough to a mixer bowl and allow it to cool for several minutes to avoid scrambling the eggs. Add eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition until completely incorporated. The dough should be smooth, shiny, and thick but pipeable.
  5. Pipe Pastries: Fit a piping bag with a round tip about 1-2 cm wide and fill it with the choux dough. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheet in desired shapes such as éclairs or small balls.
  6. Brush with Egg: Lightly brush the piped dough shapes with the beaten egg to give them a shiny, golden finish when baked. Flatten any sharp piping tips with a damp finger.
  7. Bake: Place the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack and bake at 425°F for 10 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the pastries are puffed, golden brown, and crisp.
  8. Cool and Pierce: Remove the pastries from the oven and immediately pierce each with a small knife or toothpick to allow steam to escape, preventing collapse. Let the pastries cool completely on a wire rack.
  9. Fill and Serve: Once cooled, fill the hollow pastries with whipped cream, vanilla custard, jam, or your favorite filling. Serve fresh and enjoy.

Notes

  • Ensure the dough cools before adding eggs to avoid cooking them.
  • Brushing with egg wash helps achieve a golden, glossy exterior.
  • Piercing the pastries after baking prevents them from becoming soggy inside.
  • You can freeze baked choux pastry; reheat in the oven to crisp before filling.
  • Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to simplify incorporating eggs thoroughly.

Find it online: https://slsrecipes.com/choux-pastry-pate-a-choux-recipe/