Pâté a choux (Choux Pastry, puff pastry)

Source: Serious Eats

Frequent paired with: pastry cream

Ingredients

1 C (235 g) water and/or milk

6 Tbs (84 g) unsalted butter, cut into Tbs pieces

2 tsp sugar (optional)

1/2 tsp kosher salt OR 1/4 tsp fine salt

1 C (128 g) all purpose flour

4 eggs, large

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure flour and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring water/milk, butter, sugar (if using) and salt to just boiling, about 2 minutes. Butter should be fully melted and sugar and salt should be dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and add flour. Using a stiff spatula or wooden spoon, mix thoroughly until no flour remains and no lumps (hunt and smash).
4. Return saucepan to medium high heat and cook, stirring constantly. The mass coming to a cohesive ball that pulls away from the sides, and a thin, starchy film forming on the pan, are signs you’re done. With an instant-read thermometer, dough should reach 175 F.
5. Add eggs:
   • With a stand mixer: transfer dough to bowl of mixer fitted with paddle and beat on medium for a minute to cool (or until dough registers 145 F). With mixer on low, Beat eggs into mixture, one at a time. Make sure each egg is mixed thoroughly before proceeding with the next; start the mixer on slow when adding, then increase speed to medium to develop batter. Scrape down sides of bowl between additions.
   • Without a stand mixer: transfer dough to a bowl and wait for 1-2 mins. Stir to cool, checking dough temperature to reach 145 F. Beat eggs into mixture, one at a time. Make sure each egg is mixed thoroughly before proceeding with the next.
   • A smooth, shiny paste should form.
6. To use: use choux pastry right away, or hold at room temp for up to 2 hours. Prevent a skin from forming either by transferring immediately to your piping bag, or pressing plastic wrap to the surface of your container.
7. Baking: After piping into desired shape (see notes), bake for directed amount of time. Then, turn off oven and crack oven door, leave pastry inside to dry for an additional 25-30 minutes.
   • for rounds/balls, bake about 22 mins at 400 F. Larger balls may take about 5 mins longer.
   • for lines/boats (for eclairs), bake about 30 mins at 350 F

Notes

• Sugar: optional to use; you probably want it for a sweet application but leave it out for a savory
• Gougerés: omit sugar. When stirring in the eggs, gradually incorporate 3 1/2 oz shredded Gruyère cheese (1 C), a bit of freshly ground black pepper, and some ground nutmeg. Pipe balls and bake as directed.
• Cream puffs: I prefer to the version where filling is piped in. When choux balls are cooled, make an X with the point of a sharp knife. With a pastry bag fitted with a metal tip (use the coupler or the tip will push back into the bag), push tip into the X and squeeze to fill with pastry cream. You will feel the puff getting heavier.
• Tea sandwiches: if you pipe extra large balls/rounds, you should end up with something like a choux roll. Once cooled, split like a sandwich roll and assemble with a tuna or chicken type salad filling.