Pâte à Choux Recipe from Making Dough by Russell Van Kraayenburg
Pronounced “pat-a-shoe”, or just called choux pastry, this is the basis for yummy things like éclairs, cream puffs, and gougères. The dough is a little tricky if you let it be, so go into it with confidence and take charge! (And for goodness’ sake, don’t watch all the fails on The British Baking Show before you start this project.)
4 oz Bread Flour
2 oz Cake Flour
½ oz Granulated Sugar
½ teasp Salt
1 C Water
4 oz Unsalted Butter (1 stick)
4 Large Eggs
Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Combine the butter and water in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high until the butter is completely melted.
Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and add flour. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until the dough forms a ball. Keep cooking, pressing the dough against the side of the pan to cook off as much moisture as possible, for about 2 minutes.
Place the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer and, using the paddle attachment, turn on to low-medium speed.
Add eggs one at a time, making sure to mix completely before adding the next. Dough should be elastic, and matte not glossy.
To form your pastry, use a piping bag with a wide circle or star tip.
Pipe 4-5” long “tubes” for eclairs; or small, medium or large balls for cream puffs.
Using a little water on the tip of your finger, smooth the peak.
Bake immediately at 375°F for 45 minutes.
Choux dough does not store well, so bake it, fill it and eat it!
(To fill, slice the top off the eclairs or cream puffs, or make a small hole in the bottom and stick the nozzle of the piping bag in and fill.
Fill with:
Creme Anglaise (pastry cream)
Whipped cream
Lemon Curd
Crabmeat, tuna or chicken salad
Cheese & Olive Dip
Anything else you can think of!
Candied Orange Peel
Delicious on its own, and a gorgeous garnish!
4 Large Navel Oranges
1 + ½ C Granulated Sugar
2 C Water
Wash the oranges well and dry.
Using a peeler or a paring knife, peel the oranges, then slice into ¼” or thinner strips.
Place orange peel, water and 1 C sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering for 20 minutes, then remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
Remove the peels from the sugar water and place on a cooling rack to cool and drip. (Place a piece of parchment, a sheet pan or something under the rack to catch the sticky drips.)
Once the peels are cool, toss in the remaining ½ C sugar, and return to the cooling rack or a sheet pan to dry – it will probably take overnight to dry completely.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Orange Pastry Cream
1¼ C Whole Milk
1 teasp Orange Zest
3 Large Egg Yolks
¼ C Granulated Sugar
1 Tbsp Flour
2+ Tbsp Cornstarch
½ teasp Vanilla Extract
2 teasp Triple Sec or Grand Marnier, or ½ teasp orange extract
Warm the milk and orange zest until it starts to steam.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, sugar, flour and cornstarch.
When the milk is hot, slowly add some into the egg mixture whisking constantly until the eggs warm up. (This will temper the eggs so they don’t scramble.)
Return the egg mixture back into the remaining hot milk and heat, stirring, until it thickens and reaches 170°F.
Remove from heat and add in the vanilla extract and Triple Sec.
Let cool, and then chill.
Can be stored up to 3 days in the fridge.