Pâte à choux

( Choux pastry )

There are just three easy steps when making choux pastry: boil the liquids with the butter, dry it up with the flour, then incorporate the eggs. It is almost failproof, providing you follow the recipe precisely — the real challenge lies in the baking. Choux pastry rises due to the evaporation of the liquids when exposed to the high temperature in the oven. The steam is subsequently trapped within the puff due to the coagulation of the eggs early in the baking process, and the flour, once cooked, will provide the thin supporting structure of the skin. This batter is used for both sweet pastries and savoury dishes.

Makes 750 g (1 lb 10 oz)

125 ml (4 fl oz) water

125 ml (4 fl oz) full-cream milk

100 g (3½ oz) unsalted butter

2.5 g (¹/₁₆ oz) fine salt

150 g (5½ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour

3 eggs, plus 1 extra (lightly beaten), if needed

Making the choux paste

Put the water, milk, butter and salt in a saucepan (photo 1)and stir over medium heat until the butter has melted. Increase the heat to high, then add the flour all at once and begin stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together into a thick buttery paste. Continue mixing for 2–3 minutes, or until the mixture comes away from the side of the pan (2). Remove from the heat.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (3) and beat on medium speed until cool to the touch. Reduce the speed to low and add the 3 eggs, one at a time (4), scraping the side of the bowl from time to time and allowing each egg to be fully incorporated before adding the next.

To check if the choux paste has the right consistency, lift the paddle attachment; if the dough stretches about 5 cm (2 in) before it breaks, it is ready (5). Alternatively, take a small teaspoon of the dough; if it stays upright but collapses at the tip, it is ready. If the dough tip breaks off or stays in a stiff peak, you will need to add ½ of the extra egg.

Piping choux

Once made, the choux paste needs to be piped straight away. Lightly grease a baking tray, then line with baking paper. The paper will stick to the oil on the tray, making it easier to pipe the sticky choux.

To make éclairs, fill a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm (½ in) plain nozzle (6) and pipe 10 cm (4 in) lengths of choux onto a lined baking tray. To pipe puffs or gougères (cheese puffs), pipe small mounds of the mixture onto the tray (7). For savoury gougères, brush over the tops with an egg wash (8), then use a fork to make a crosshatched pattern on the top (9). These raised ridges will brown quickly, allowing the puff to crack evenly during baking.

Cooking choux

In order for the choux to develop properly and get the maximum lift, it needs to be baked in a hot oven at 180°C (350°F) early in the process. Never open the door during the initial stages of baking. After the first 15 minutes of baking, reduce the heat to 170°C (340°F) and cook for at least 30 minutes to allow the choux pastry to dry out. The oven door should be left slightly ajar after the first 25 minutes of baking, to rid the oven of the large amount of steam created while cooking. If the steam is unable to escape, this will lengthen the drying process.

Choux pastry can be tricky to cook perfectly, so I always recommend cooking a few samples before cooking the whole mixture.

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