Tulo

Choux Pastry Recipe

Cooking the flour into a panade on the stovetop gelatinizes its starch so the dough can absorb a large amount of egg without turning soupy, and that trapped moisture converts to steam in a hot oven, puffing the shells hollow and crisp instead of dense.

Prep
20 min
Cook
40 min
Total
60 min
Servings
24

Ingredients

Servings24
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 large large eggs

Nutrition per serving

Calories
66
Protein
2g
Carbs
4g
Fat
5g

Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.

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Instructions

  1. 1Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. 2In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, making sure the butter melts completely before the water boils so it doesn't evaporate unevenly.
  3. 3Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pan.
  4. 4Return the pan to low heat and cook, stirring and mashing the dough constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes to dry it out, until a thin film sticks to the bottom of the pan and the dough looks slightly shiny.
  5. 5Transfer the dough to a large bowl and let it cool for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's warm rather than hot to the touch.
  6. 6Add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon or hand mixer after each addition until fully absorbed before adding the next. The finished dough should be smooth, glossy, and fall off the spoon in a thick, slow ribbon.
  7. 7Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round or star tip. Pipe into mounds for cream puffs or logs for eclairs, spacing them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  8. 8Smooth any pointed peaks with a wet fingertip, then bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes without opening the oven door. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, until deeply golden brown and firm to the touch.
  9. 9Turn off the oven, prop the door open a few inches with a wooden spoon, and let the shells sit in the cooling oven for 10 minutes to finish drying out and prevent collapsing.
  10. 10Transfer the shells to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing and filling.

Tips & variations

  • Add the eggs to warm, not hot, dough; if the dough is still steaming when the eggs go in, they can scramble on contact.
  • For gougères, stir 3/4 cup shredded gruyère or sharp cheddar into the finished dough along with a pinch of black pepper before piping.
  • If the dough seems too stiff after 3 eggs, beat the 4th egg separately and add it a little at a time until the ribbon consistency is right; egg size varies enough to throw off the ratio.
  • Do not open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking; a rush of cool air at that stage causes the shells to collapse before the walls have set.
  • Pipe extra shells and freeze them unfilled; they crisp back up better from frozen than pre-filled pastries do.

Storage & reheating

Store unfilled, cooled shells in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or freeze for up to 2 months. Recrisp room-temperature or thawed shells in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5 to 8 minutes before filling. Once filled with pastry cream or whipped cream, refrigerate and eat within 4 hours, as the shells soften quickly once moisture is added.

Tips from the Tulo kitchen

  • Weigh the flour if possible; too much flour packed into the measuring cup makes the panade stiffer and the dough won't absorb the full amount of egg.
  • Pipe onto parchment traced with circles as a guide if it's the first time piping choux, the shapes bake more evenly when they start out uniform.

FAQ

Why did my choux pastry deflate after baking?

Deflation usually means the shells came out of the oven before the walls fully dried, either from underbaking or from opening the oven door too early during the first 15 minutes. The prop-open cooling step at the end also helps set the structure.

Why is my choux dough runny instead of holding its shape?

Runny dough almost always means too much egg was added relative to how well the panade was dried, or the dough was still too hot when the eggs went in and thinned out. Stop adding egg once the dough falls off the spoon in a slow, thick ribbon, not a stream.

Can choux pastry dough be made ahead?

The piped, unbaked dough can be frozen on a baking sheet and then bagged for up to 2 months; bake directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the total time. The raw dough doesn't hold well in the fridge for more than a couple of hours before it loses lift.

Why are my choux shells soggy on the inside?

Soggy interiors usually mean the shells were pulled from the oven before they were deeply golden, or they skipped the final drying period with the oven door propped open. Cutting one open to check for a mostly hollow, dry interior is a reliable doneness test.

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