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5 from 2 votes

Choux Pastry

Choux pastry dough that can be used to make cream puffs, eclairs, and so much more!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Servings: 24
Calories: 104kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 cup (120 g) all purpose flour sifted
  • 4 eggs

Instructions

  • Combine the water, salt, butter, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. There's no need to stir.
  • Remove pan from the heat add the flour all at once. Stir in the flour then return to the stovetop over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture forms a cohesive mass and pulls away from the sides of the pans, leaving a film of flour on the sides of pan.
  • Transfer the mixture to a bowl or a stand mixer and beat it with a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment for about 1 minute or until slightly cooled. This may take a few extra minutes (internal temperature should be about 121oF)
  • Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until you've added 4. Check the consistency of the batter by pulling a wooden spoon through it. When the groove it makes slowly in on itself, you've added enough eggs. Another way to check is to see if the batter droops from the spoon when it is held sideways. If so it is ready. While the dough is best used right away, it will keep for several hours in the refrigerator.
  • Preheat the oven to 400F. If making cream puffs: Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch plain tip and fill it with the dough. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. If using paper, pipe a small amount of dough underneath the paper in the four corners to hold it down. For eclairs I like to use a French star tip.
  • For cream puffs (and profiteroles): Make 2 rows of 3 each cream puffs each. Start by holding the pastry bag about 3/4-inch above the sheet pan and squeezing. If the pastry bag tip is too close, the cream puffs won't be thick enough; if it's too far away, they won't be wide enough. As the round of pastry takes shape, lift the pastry bag until it is about 1 1/2 inches above the sheet pan. The mounds of dough should be about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and about 1 1/2 inches high in the center. Brush with an egg wash, lightly smoothing the surface with the brush at the same time. Bake the cream puffs for about 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Turn down the oven to 300F and continue baking for 20 minutes more. Let cool for at least 20 minutes on a cake rack.

Notes

  • Choose A Large Enough Pan. You will be making the cream puff in a saucepan so make sure to choose a heavy duty saucepan that is large enough.
  • Add The Flour All At Once. When you add the flour, you want to add it all at once with the pan off the heat then stir with a wooden spoon until it leaves a film onto the walls of the saucepan.
  • Use a digital thermometer. Use this to check the temperature of the batter before adding the eggs. You want the temperature below 121°F.
  • Drag A Wooden Spoon. The number of eggs can vary when making cream puffs. So check if you have added enough by dragging your wooden spoon through the batter, it should leave a path that folds in on itself. Or pick up the spoon the batter should fall off the spoon and form a "V".
  • Parchment or Silicone Baking Mat. I've used a silicone baking mat, but parchment works a bit better for providing a non-stick surface. I've also read that eclairs do a bit better on silicone baking mat and don't cause them to puff up as much. 
  • Moisten The Parchment Paper. This helps to create a moist and humid environment for this egg-rich dough to puff up and not dry out and burn instead. Sort of like a water bath does for a cheesecake! I just use a pastry brush to moisten the parchment with water before piping on my choux pastry.

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 304IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg