Choux Pastry
By OcadoLife
Published on 26 April 2022
Whether you want to make puffs, profiteroles or éclairs, this Choux Pastry recipe can be the base for countless fillings and is a tried-and-tested winner. All you need is flour, salt, butter and eggs, then just follow our step-by-step guide for choux that puffs to perfection every time – it’s easy to master once you know how. Link to Salted Caramel Profiteroles recipe.Time and servings
1 hr 5 minsTotal time
15 minsPrep time
50 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 50 g of plain flour
- 1 pinch of salt
- 25 g of unsalted butter, plus extra for the trays
- 1 medium egg, plus 1 medium egg yolk
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Sift the flour and salt onto a piece of baking paper beforehand (use a 15cm square, creased down the middle), ready to slide it into the hot butter at speed. This helps it absorb the liquid quicker, resulting in smoother pastry with fewer cracks.Step 2
Gently melt the butter in a medium pan with 150ml cold water, then turn up the heat. As soon as it comes to the boil, tip in the flour and salt in one go using your baking paper trick. Beat with a wooden spoon for 20 secs to ‘cook’ the flour, then take off the heat and beat for another 10 secs or so, until you have a thick, smooth paste that comes away from the sides of the pan. Think: ‘brief but thorough’.Step 3
Spread your choux mixture out on a plate and leave it to cool until lightly warm – this will allow for greater absorption of the eggs, which helps the choux to rise. Return the cooled choux to the pan (there’s no need to wash it first). Whisk the egg and egg yolk in a bowl, then add to the pan a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Don’t be alarmed if it thickens; it will gradually loosen as more egg is added. The choux mixture should now be shiny and silky smooth.Step 4
Grease 1-2 baking trays with butter; spoon the choux into a piping bag (use a 1cm plain nozzle, or snip the corner off a disposable bag). For profiteroles, pipe 12-14 balls, about the width of a £1 coin, onto the tray, 4cm apart. Flatten any peaks with a wet finger to stop them catching, then bake for 10-15 mins. Reduce the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5 and bake for 15-20 mins. For éclairs, pipe 12x10cm lengths onto the tray 4cm apart, bake for 10 mins, reduce the heat as before and bake for 25-30 mins. You want them puffed and golden – don’t remove early, as they might collapse.Step 5
Use a skewer to make a small hole in the bases to let the steam escape, then pop onto a wire rack to cool. This will keep your bakes crisp and airy. Once cool, keep for 2 days in an airtight container.