Choux Pastry
Choux pastry, or pâte à choux, is a light, airy dough that puffs up beautifully in the oven to create hollow shells. This classic French pastry dough is used in some of the most elegant desserts out there— éclairs, profiteroles, and cream puffs!
Equipment
- small saucepan
- large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer with paddle attachment
- Piping bag fitted with a star or round tip
Ingredients
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Fit a large piping bag with a large star or round tip. I use #1M open star tip for eclairs or #1A round tip for cream puffs.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter on medium-high heat, then add water, milk, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. When it is boiling, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once, and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, about a minute.
- Return the saucepan to medium heat and stir constantly for about a minute. The dough should pull away from the pot easily and not stick. Remove from heat and scrape the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer.
- Turn the mixer on at medium speed. While the mixer is running, add the eggs, one at a time. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowls as needed.The dough will look wet and chunky while mixing but will turn into a thicker, smooth mixture. To check if the dough is done, lift up the paddle of the mixer or lift up some dough with a spatula. If the dough sticks to the paddle and breaks forming a "V" shape underneath, it is ready to pipe.
- Fill your piping bag with the choux dough. Twist to close.For Eclairs: Pipe thick lines of dough 4 inches long onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space between each. When you get the end of each line, let off the pressure on the piping bag and lift up. For Cream Puffs: Holding your piping bag vertically, pipe large mounds onto the baking sheet. Keep the piping bag low, squeeze until the diameter of the cream puffs reaches about 2 inches wide. Slowly let off pressure as you lift up.
- Dip your index finger in cold water and lightly tap it on top of any pointy edges to smooth out the surface.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F and continue baking until puffed and light golden brown, about 25 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Once golden, remove from the oven and immediately poke two holes in the bottom using a skewer to release steam. The shells should feel light and hollow. Let the pastry shells cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
Notes
Piping Tips: I use #1M open star tip for eclairs or #1A round tip for cream puffs. For more info on how to use a piping bag, refer to my guide.
Storage: Choux dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days in an airtight container—just beat it slightly before piping.
Baked, unfilled choux pastry shells stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for one day or up to one month in the freezer. Always fill them shortly before serving so they stay nice and crispy.