Name: Foolproof Choux pastry (pâte à choux)
Prep time: PT-479589H42M29S
Cook time: 25 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: ½ cup (125ml) water; ½ cup (125ml) milk; 4g salt; 8g sugar; 3.5 ounces (100g) butter; 1¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour, sifted; 4 eggs

Foolproof Choux pastry (pâte à choux)

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Author: Delphine Fortin
Prep Time: 1h
Cook Time: 25min
Total Time: 0 hours
Yield: 20 choux 1x
Category: Baking Basics
Cuisine: French

Choux pastry or “pâte à choux” is a delicate pastry dough often used in French baking. Learn how to make it from scratch by following my complete guide with step-by-step photos to help you master the technique too.

Ingredients

Scale

½ cup (125ml) water
½ cup (125ml) milk
4g salt
8g sugar
3.5 ounces (100g) butter
1¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour, sifted
4 eggs

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 480°F (250°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a large mixing bowl in the refrigerator.
In a medium saucepan, heat water, milk, butter, salt and sugar on low heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat as soon as the liquid starts bubbling. Add the sifted flour and mix vigorously with a wooden spatula until no lumps remain.
Put the saucepan back on the heat and stir the dough until it detaches from the sides of the pan and makes a compact and smooth ball of dough. Transfer to the cold large mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes in the bowl placed at room temperature. Incorporate the eggs, one at a time, using a wooden spatula or a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, stirring well after each addition.
Transfer the choux pastry into a large piping bag and pipe small amounts of dough, leaving enough space between each of them.
Bake in the 480°F (250°C) preheated oven, then drop the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) right away. Bake for 25 minutes (do not open the oven in the meantime!) or a little bit longer if needed, until the choux become golden in color.
When ready, crack open the oven door and let the choux for 5 more minutes in the oven, then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Notes

Baking instructions for success:

DO NOT open the oven door while it bakes or your choux will deflate.
Silicon mat vs parchment paper. Both options work, but if you are a beginner I highly recommend parchment paper, which is reported to be better for success.
Baking time. Every oven is different and the baking time can vary significantly from an oven to the other. So try not to rely on the baking time too much. Instead, monitor the oven closely. Once your choux have puffed and have become golden brown, they are ready to use!

Other notes:

The recipe yields approximately 20 choux, but this really depends on their size once you piped them onto the baking sheet. I recommend you pipe them approximately the size of 2 Tablespoons for best results.