The choux pastry is a neutral dough of French origin, widely used in pastry making for preparing cream puffs and zeppole. The recipe initially involves heating flour with water, butter, and salt. Once cooled, the mixture is then beaten with enough eggs to achieve a dense and semi-glossy dough. Subsequently, with the help of a piping bag, it is squeezed onto a baking tray in different shapes, depending on what you want to achieve. I confess that before getting a good result, I had to redo this recipe at least four or five times. There are indeed some important tips in the preparation that I only understood after experimenting with the recipe several times. I’m sure that if you follow my advice, you will be satisfied with the result too. What do you say, shall we prepare it together? Then read the recipe, because the choux pastry, perfect for savory and sweet preparations, will be ready in a click! 😉
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 15 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: French
- Energy 55.64 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 3.60 (g) of which sugars 0.13 (g)
- Proteins 1.45 (g)
- Fat 4.01 (g) of which saturated 2.47 (g)of which unsaturated 1.52 (g)
- Fibers 0.11 (g)
- Sodium 34.42 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 10 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 1/2 tbsp butter
- 2 large eggs
- salt (a pinch)
Tools
- 1 High-sided saucepan
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Baking tray
- Parchment paper
- Piping bag
- 1 Bowl
Steps
First, bring the butter with water and salt to a boil in a saucepan.
Then remove from heat and add the sifted flour all at once, stirring with a spoon.
Place the pot back on the heat and continue stirring to dry the mixture. When the dough starts to pull away from the sides and a white film forms on the bottom, it is cooked.
Then put the dough in a bowl and let it cool slightly.
At this point, incorporate the eggs one at a time. Add the next egg only after the first is well combined.
After obtaining a smooth and sticky mixture, transfer it to a piping bag (if it is too shiny, it indicates too many eggs). Subsequently, line a baking tray with parchment paper and form lumps of dough the size of a nut, spacing them apart because they will swell and grow during baking. After filling the baking sheet, gently press the surface of the balls with a finger or a slightly wet spoon.
Finally, bake in the oven at 428°F (220°C) for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 356°F (180°C) and continue baking for another 30 minutes or so.
Before taking the choux pastry out of the oven, leave it for another five minutes in the turned-off oven with the door slightly open. The choux pastry is ready! You can then fill it with sweet or savory ingredients.
Variations and Tips
The choux pastry can be stored for two or three days in a cool and dry place.
Moreover, it is very well suited to being filled with sweet and savory ingredients.
After adding the eggs, you should obtain a dense and semi-glossy mixture. Excessive glossiness could be an indication of too many eggs in the dough.
