How to Make Pâte À Choux (What Eclairs Are Made Of)
Custard paste is a pillar of the confectionery world. It’s nothing special, but this humble pastry is the basis of many sensational desserts. While you’ve probably seen it decorate your baking pans, and may even have eaten it before, this is the kind of dough you really should be at first place with. This custard review will help you with that.
Let’s start at the top. Choux is pronounced like the English word “shoe”, which is great, if only for the sake of a little play on words with pastries. Also referred to as pâte à choux (pronounced the same as “pat-uh-shoe” but more French), pâte means dough, and “choux” translates to “cabbage”. As funny as it may be, cabbage is in no way involved in the preparation of this confectionery dough; Rumor has it that the name comes from the fact that the baked cream puffs look like little cabbages.
This convenient pasta is made with a mixture of kitchen staples: water, butter, flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt. Since custard is not made with many ingredients and there is very little variation, it is important to follow a standard procedure for making it to ensure success. You start, essentially, by making a thick roux . Mix flour, butter, water and salt ( some recipes use milk or a combination instead of water); after a little mixing, the dough is collected in a thick mass. Easy enough, right? But that’s when other custards fall apart – since a good pasta is judged by how well it puffs up, and its only leavening agent is eggs, the amount of eggs added is critical .
Of course, the recipe says how many eggs you need to add, but this is a rough estimate. Not only do eggs vary in size and freshness (affecting water content), but the region you’re in can also affect the dough. The number of eggs required may be fine for someone using a recipe in New Jersey, but a person baking choux pastry in Arizona may need an extra egg, or maybe just an extra half an egg. Yes, it is important. When you’re making this pasta (I’m about to do a pesky chef’s job), judge it by its consistency – you have to make sure the dough is pliable enough before you use it. Basically, the dough will look like it’s “sighing” when you stop the mixer. (You can also make it by hand and achieve the same consistency.) It should be neither hard nor runny. Not enough eggs and the dough won’t rise enough to create the characteristic cavity. Too much and your dough will spread and look smooth and flat.
Once you’ve made the perfect custard paste, you can squeeze it into a variety of shapes: small balls for puff pastry, long finger molds for eclairs, large rings for Parisian brest, or squeeze crullers ready for deep-frying. The dough is always cooked at a high temperature (around 400-425°F) to allow for maximum evaporation and the formation of large pockets, and the gluten produced by mixing provides the structure needed to maintain the valuable cavities inside. Mind you, lingering action is serious. Leave room in the skillet or oil to double in size. The cooked dough itself is crispy and light as a feather, with a neutral flavor if not a bit eggy, so in most recipes you will be stuffing the finished dough or topping it with something irresistibly indulgent.
Choux desserts are always impressive, even if you haven’t figured out the perfect egg ratio yet. It’s a versatile dough that works with a wide variety of toppings, and with enough practice, you can make one hell of a croquembush for a holiday party. Choux’d you want to make it ahead of time, choux pastry freezes exceptionally well. Bake and cool puffs or any other shape and place them on a baking sheet in the freezer. Let them freeze for about 30 minutes and then load them all into a freezer bag or large freezer container to save space. To thaw, place frozen dough on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for about 5-10 minutes. They are so perfectly refreshing that you will be delighted. Fin.
Classic Pâte à Choux (adapted from The Master Class )
Ingredients:
- 1 glass of water
- 1 stick butter (cut into about tablespoons)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan, add water, pieces of butter and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and allow the pieces of butter to melt completely. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add all the flour at once and start mixing vigorously. The mixture will start to stick together, keep stirring. As soon as the mixture gathers into a single mass and you see that a thin film of flour has formed on the bottom and walls of the pan, remove it from the heat. Transfer the dough mass to a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment. Turn on low speed and let the dough cool slightly for about 3 minutes. (You can do this by hand with a wooden spoon, but make sure you stretch well before and after.)
While it is cooling, add the eggs to the measuring cup and beat them slightly. This will allow you to pour little by little and stop in the middle of the egg if necessary. Add a quarter of the mixture and mix thoroughly. Add another quarter and wait the same amount. Add a little more and watch the consistency by stopping the mixer. If the dough doesn’t rise, turn the mixer back on and add some more eggs. Stop and watch. Make sure that the dough “sighs” from the nozzle-blade. It should just come off the oar but stay upright. Add the rest of the egg if you need it. If you think the batter is still too tough, beat in another egg and add one half at a time, stopping to check the consistency.
When the pasta is ready, transfer it to a piping bag . Squeeze the desired shape onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Bake the choux pastry for about 10 minutes at 400°F, give or take a few minutes to account for differences in size or shape. After 10 minutes, reduce heat to 325°F for 30 minutes. The dough has done most of its puffing, but during this time it will dry out and brown properly.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a toothpick or small paring knife to poke each custard puff into an inconspicuous crack or slit. This will allow the steam to continue to come out and provide a crispy crust. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before freezing or filling.