What is choux pastry? How to bake, use, and store pâte à choux

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• Only a few simple ingredients are required to make choux pastry at home.
• Choux pastry can be used for éclairs as well as sweet and savory cream puffs like gougères.
• It's important to exercise patience and avoid opening the oven while baking choux pastry.

Though it may seem intimidating, making cream puffs, éclairs, or an impressive croquembouche is possible at home. But it's important to get the building blocks of these desserts down first. Each of these treats starts off with choux pastry as its base, and whipping up this bake is easier than you think.

Because choux pastry is a cross between a batter and a dough, it's pipeable to form virtually any shape, from round puffs to elongated éclairs. It's baked in three steps, allowing time to rise, fully bake, and then dry out. Once baked, the result is a delicious pastry with a slightly crisp outer shell and a delightfully airy interior pocket that serves as the ideal vessel for creams, jams, and mousses.

A quick history

Also known as pâte à choux, choux pastry has French roots dating back to 1540 and was perfected and popularized in the 1800s.

The word choux translates to "cabbage," as it was named for its textured shape when piped into a round. But even with its rich history and elegant nuances, choux pastry can be achieved in any home kitchen.

"Just like anything, practice makes perfect," says Tiffany MacIsaac, baker and owner of Buttercream Bakeshop. "I can't think of a better reward than getting to eat the delicious cream puffs, crullers, or profiteroles made while perfecting technique!"

With patience, practice, and the tips and tricks below, you'll be well on your way to biting into a homemade cream puff or éclair in no time.

What can you do with choux?

Choux pastry is incredibly versatile as it serves as the base for a variety of sweet treats. Most well-known is the classic cream puff filled with a luscious, airy Chantilly cream. Choux pastry can also be filled with ice cream and dunked in chocolate sauce to make profiteroles, or it can be turned into an elongated éclair filled with custard or cream and topped with chocolate. French crullers, churros, and croquembouche are all delicious applications as well.

But the versatility doesn't stop there. Because choux pastry isn't made with much sugar, the options for savory appetizers and other treats are plentiful, including making Parisienne style gnocchi or gougères, a savory cream puff.

Ingredients

• 1 cup water and/or milk: Using more milk adds more protein, producing a slightly darker crust. Using all water yields a lighter, slightly crisper exterior. Just be sure you have 1 cup of total liquid.
• ½ cup butter, cut into small cubes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cups flour: Strong bread flour with a higher protein count will help to promote a golden crust and crisp texture. Pastry flour can be used as well, or all-purpose flour if you're in a pinch.
• 3-4 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

What else you need

• Medium saucepan
• Mixer with paddle attachment
• Piping bag
• Baking sheet

How to make pâte à choux

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Prepare your baking sheets. Parchment paper, a baking mat, or cooking spray will prevent sticking.

3. Combine milk/water, butter, sugar, and salt. Mix together in a saucepan and turn the stove on high heat. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil until the butter melts.

4. Add the flour. Turn down the heat and stir in the flour. Stir vigorously to prevent lumps until the flour is just incorporated, pulls away from the side of the pan, and resembles mashed potatoes.
   
   "The key is to cook the paste of flour and liquid until you've evaporated as much liquid as possible so you can re-hydrate it with eggs," says MacIsaac. Be sure not to over-beat so the dough doesn't form a hard ball. The dough should remain soft and flexible.

5. Cool the mixture. Allow the mixture to cool to warm before adding the eggs, so they don't scramble when they hit the mixture. Transfer the hot paste to a mixer with a paddle attachment and mix on low for a few minutes to release steam.

6. Add the eggs. With the dough in the mixer, add the eggs one at a time. Allow each egg to be fully incorporated before adding in the next one. You may not need all the eggs, depending on the humidity in your kitchen and the size of your eggs.
   
   According to MacIsaac, if you pick up a spoonful of dough and it slowly falls away in one big piece, that's the best way to know when you've added enough egg. Once the eggs are incorporated, your finished paste should be shiny and smooth, with a consistency in between a firm dough and a soft batter.

7. Shape the dough. Transfer the dough to a piping bag and use it to form desired shapes on the prepared baking sheet, spacing each slightly apart. They will grow a bit in the oven.

8. Brush with egg wash. Mix an egg yolk with one tablespoon of water and brush the tops of each pastry.

9. Bake the choux pastry. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes to allow the pastry to puff up. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden. Turn the oven down to 300 degrees to dry the pastry out for 10 minutes, watching carefully that it doesn't brown too much.

10. Cool the pastry. Remove from the oven and poke a toothpick into the top of each to release steam. Allow to fully cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and filling.

Troubleshooting choux pastry

The choux collapsed. Your pastry may collapse if your oven isn't hot enough. Start off with a very hot oven to create the steam that causes the choux to puff up. Once puffed, turn down the oven after 10 minutes to keep the choux from getting too dark. Be sure to also keep the oven door closed throughout the entire baking process. "All that beautiful steam in the oven is an important part of the baking process," adds MacIsaac. "Don't let it out."

The choux isn't rising properly. If the eggs aren't incorporated correctly, it can hinder the rise of your pastry while baking. If the paste is too hot when you add in the eggs, they'll start to cook, which can inhibit their rising power.

Too soggy or eggy? If the inside of your choux looks moist or shiny when you crack it open, it may need fewer eggs or a longer bake time. Be sure you're giving the choux time to bake at a lower temperature and dry to create that slightly crispy texture.

How long do choux pastries last?

If you're planning to make choux pastry ahead of time, or you're making extra, it does have a shelf life. Keep raw choux dough in the fridge in an airtight bag for up to three days if you're not baking it right away. Once baked, store choux pastries in an airtight container for two to three days, or in airtight bags or containers in the freezer for two to three weeks.

Insider's takeaway

The applications for choux pastry are plentiful and you can certainly accomplish making it at home. It only requires water, milk, salt, flour, eggs, and sugar. The real trick to pulling off the perfect choux is a bit of finesse and attention. Be patient while the pastry is baking, and remember to have patience if you don't achieve the perfect choux on the first try. Practicing your technique will only allow you to try more tasty treats.

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