Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux)
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Made with 6 simple pantry ingredients, this delicate light and airy homemade Choux Pastry is quite easy to make in just a few simple steps! With a perfectly crisp golden brown shell and creamy hollow inside, it’s the perfect base for favorites like cream puffs, eclairs, churros, and savory treats too!
Easy Choux Pastry Recipe
To begin, what is choux pastry? Simply put choux pastry also known as pâte à choux is just a fancy name for a versatile French pastry dough. It’s a moist and thick dough almost like a paste. Some say it’s more like a cross between a dough and a batter. Yet, when baked in the oven it puffs up into a lovely light airy texture that is delicate and delicious.
But interestingly enough choux pastry has no added leavening agent like yeast or baking powder in it! It’s just made with simple ingredients like flour, water, butter, and eggs! Yet, because it’s a very moist batter it actually steams when it’s in the oven, which causes it to puff up and become golden on the outside, but creamy and hollow on the inside. This result makes it perfect for filling!
For example, if you’ve ever had desserts like an eclair or cream puff then you’ve had choux pastry! However, you can fill baked choux with anything. Some fantastic options are whipped cream, pastry cream, lemon curd, or jam. You can even top the baked pastry with chocolate ganache! Better yet, choux is so versatile it’s also commonly used in savory recipes. You can fill it with cream cheese and smoked salmon, goat cheese and bacon, egg salad, and more!
Why You’ll Love This Choux Pastry
- Quick and Easy! French pastry is pretty simple to make. It only requires 6 basic ingredients and the dough comes together with just a little prep time.
- Light Airy Pastry! When rich and creamy choux pastry is baked it becomes crisp and golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside with a hollow middle that is perfect for filling.
- Versatile Recipe! You can use this dough as a base to make eclairs, profiteroles, gougères, savory appetizers, and more for your next family gathering or holiday party.
- Water – It’s the only liquid in the batter and an important one that helps to bind the dough together and create steam in the oven, which makes the dough puff up.
- Milk – I love to add some milk to my choux pastry simply because it results in a creamier texture, richer flavor and helps with browning. It’s totally optional and you can just use one full cup of water versus using half water and half milk.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter in baking to control the amount of added salt.
- Salt – Used to season the dough. If you use salted butter, you can omit this extra salt.
- Sugar – Adds just a touch of sweetness to the dough. But this ingredient is optional. If you are making savory appetizers you can leave the sugar out if you like.
- Flour – Simple all-purpose flour works perfectly. You can sift your flour for better results.
- Eggs – You will need some room-temperature eggs for both the dough and for an egg wash. The eggs add some richness and give the pastry some rise.
If you follow the simple instructions this is a very easy pastry recipe that doesn’t take much time to make or require any special skills. I used my stand mixer to add the eggs, but you can also use an electric mixer. In fact, you can even incorporate the eggs by hand if you like, but it will take some elbow grease.
To begin, you need to start the dough on the stovetop. First, bring the water, milk if using, butter, and salt to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat while stirring it from time to time.
Then turn off the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour until the dough forms into a smooth ball and is pulling away from the pan. Make sure there are no lumps of flour. Now, turn the heat back on and cook the dough for another minute on low heat while stirring constantly. This allows the moisture in the dough to evaporate slowly, which creates steam and causes the dough to puff up and become light and airy. This is what gives Pâte à Choux pastries their signature hollow center.
Transfer the dough to the bowl of your stand mixer and let it cool. Once the dough has cooled off a bit, use the paddle attachment to add the eggs to the dough one at a time while the mixer is still running at medium speed. You need to mix in each egg until the dough is smooth and then scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding the next.
The eggs should be added one at a time and fully incorporated before moving on to the next egg. This is important to ensure that the dough is smooth and glossy, and that the eggs are fully integrated into the mixture. After all the eggs have been added the dough should be silky and still clinging to the paddle attachment but slowly sliding down.
When the dough is ready, preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) so that it’s already hot once the pâte à choux is piped. Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The dough will stick if you skip this step. Add a few droplets of water to the parchment paper before baking the pastries. The water droplets create steam in the oven, which helps the pastries puff up and become light and airy.
Next, it’s time to pipe! To start, put the choux pastry dough into a pastry bag fitted with a piping tip that is 1cm to 2cm wide. The 869 star tip works perfectly. Then pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheet in 3-inch long portions for eclairs or small mounds for choux balls. Make sure to space them about 3 inches apart so that the pastry has room to puff up.
After you’ve finished pipping the dough, use a pastry brush to brush each portion of dough with some beaten egg. Then use your finger to flatten any pointy tips in the dough that were created by the piping process.
Now, put the baking tray on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake the pastry for 10 minutes. Then turn the oven temperature down to 375°F (190°C) and bake it for another 15-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through to ensure that the pastry browns evenly.
When the pastry is done, remove it from the oven and transfer it to a cooling rack. Then once it’s completely cool you can serve the baked choux pastries as is or fill them with whipped cream, vanilla custard, jam, or whatever you like!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Choux pastry the same as puff pastry?
No, puff pastry is a laminated dough more like a croissant made with layers of butter. It’s also rolled out, cut, and relies on fat to puff up. Whereas, choux pastry is a very moist dough that is piped out and relies on steam puff up. Also, the texture of choux is more delicate than that of puff pastry.
How do you keep Choux pastry crisp?
There are a few things that you can do to help keep choux pastry crispy on the outside. First, you can cut them in half or poke holes in the bottom of them after they are baked to allow any excess moisture to escape. You should also always store baked choux buns in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also re-crisp them by putting them in the oven for about 5 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
Why does my choux pastry not rise?
Choux pastry needs a high amount of heat to rise, so if your oven temperature is too low or you open the oven door too soon, the pastry may not rise properly. Additionally, using old or low-quality ingredients, over-mixing the dough, or adding too much flour can also cause the pastry to not rise properly.
How do I prevent my choux pastry from collapsing?
To prevent choux pastry from collapsing, make sure to fully cook the dough and avoid opening the oven door during the first 10-15 minutes of baking. Additionally, make sure the dough is the right consistency and that you are using fresh, high-quality ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Measure ingredients accurately: Choux pastry requires precise measurements to achieve the right consistency and texture. Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, especially the flour, to ensure accuracy.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan: When making choux pastry, use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to prevent the dough from burning or sticking to the pan.
- Smash any lumps of flour. When you mix the flour into the water and butter it’s important to make sure that there are no remaining lumps of flour left in the dough.
- Add the eggs correctly. The flour mixture must cool off before you add the eggs or they will begin to cook. And each egg must be fully mixed into the dough one at a time to reach the right consistency.
- Test the dough for consistency: The dough should be smooth, glossy, and thick enough to pipe, but not too thick that it doesn’t pipe easily. Test the consistency of the dough by lifting the wooden spoon from the pan – the dough should fall slowly in a thick ribbon.
- Don’t open the oven door: During the first 10-15 minutes of baking, avoid opening the oven door as this can cause the pastries to collapse or lose their shape.
- Rotate the pans. For the most uniform baking, don’t forget to rotate the pan halfway through baking after you lower the oven temperature.
Storage
Leftover filled baked pastries will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Yet, if the pastries are unfilled you can keep them for up to 5 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer. Just let them fully thaw out in the refrigerator before filling them to serve.
It’s also possible to store the unpiped dough itself for up to 2 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer if it’s wrapped well in plastic wrap or put in a sealed freezer bag. You just need to let it come to room temperature before you pipe it out to bake.
Other Delicious Recipes To Try
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Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux)
Ingredients
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush it with water.
- In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until the dough forms into a smooth ball and pulls away from the pan. Turn the heat back on to low and cook the dough for another 2 minutes while stirring.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of your mixer and let it cool.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously with the wooden spoon until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one. The mixture should be smooth and glossy.
- Transfer the choux dough to a piping bag fitted with a round piping tip that's 1 to 2 cm wide (869 star tip). For eclairs pipe 3-inch long pieces or small choux balls onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the dough with the beaten egg before transfer to the oven. Flatten the tips that were made with the piping bag with the tip of your finger.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed up.
- Remove the pastries from the oven and pierce each one with a small knife or toothpick to allow steam to escape. Let them cool completely on a wire rack. Then once they're completely cool you can serve the baked choux pastries as is or fill them with whipped cream, vanilla custard, jam, or whatever you like!
Equipment
Notes
- Recipe makes about 24 choux buns (cream puffs).
- Baked choux pastries freeze well. To crisp them back up, bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a 300°F preheated oven.
- Measure ingredients accurately: Choux pastry requires precise measurements to achieve the right consistency and texture. Use a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients, especially the flour, to ensure accuracy.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan: When making choux pastry, use a heavy-bottomed saucepan to prevent the dough from burning or sticking to the pan.
- Smash any lumps of flour. When you mix the flour into the water and butter it’s important to make sure that there are no remaining lumps of flour left in the dough.
- Add the eggs correctly. The flour mixture must cool off before you add the eggs or they will begin to cook. And each egg must be fully mixed into the dough one at a time to reach the right consistency.
- Test the dough for consistency: The dough should be smooth, glossy, and thick enough to pipe, but not too thick that it doesn’t pipe easily. Test the consistency of the dough by lifting the wooden spoon from the pan – the dough should fall slowly in a thick ribbon.
- Don’t open the oven door: During the first 10-15 minutes of baking, avoid opening the oven door as this can cause the pastries to collapse or lose their shape.
- Rotate the pans. For the most uniform baking, don’t forget to rotate the pan halfway through baking after you lower the oven temperature.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Fabulous. They didn’t last long enough to take a picture. 😄 Making your flan recipe tonight.
Awesome, let me know how you like it!
These look amazing and I look forward to making them. In the notes section you say to measure the ingredients accurately using weight measurements but I don’t see weights given for the ingredients. Could you please provide those weight measurements?
I really want mine to come out as beautiful as yours!
Hi Alice, If you click on measurements the amounts will change into grams so you can use those to accurately weigh your ingredients.
I noticed that the instructions state to transfer the dough to the bowl of a mixer then to add the eggs in one at a time stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, however the pictures show mixing the eggs in with the hand mixer. I assume you can do one or the other? Also I see from the pictures that the eggs are blended already as they are being added to the dough from the jar. Is that your preferred method for the eggs? Thanks, and sorry for being a pain, but I want mine to turn out as beautiful as yours. Thanks.
Yes, either mixer work, up to you, use what you have. I prefer to blend the eggs first, that way you can easily control how much egg you pour in.
So easy, so light, soooo delicious!!