Choux Pastry Dough Recipe

1.  In a saucepan, pour in the Milk (½ Cup or 110 g), the Water (½ Cup or 100 g), the Salt (½ teaspoon or 1 g), the Sugar (1 teaspoon or 8 g) and the Butter (½ Cup or 125 g), over medium heat

2. After the Butter has melted, once the liquid starts boiling, remove from heat

Scanpan SaucepanCalphalon Nonstick Sauce Pan

3. Off the heat, add in the Flour

4.  For better results, sift the Flour

5. Stir with a spatula, off the heat, until the flour absorbs the liquid and the mixture "forms a ball"

6. Remove from the heat and mix with a spatula, until the Flour has absorbed all the liquid

Sifter for BakingFlour SifterPolyglass Spatula

7. Transfer to a mixing bowl immediately and stir to let the dough cool down

8. Beat the Eggs (⅔ Cup or 250 g) in a mixing bowl

9. Add in the Eggs (one by one) while mixing the dough. You may mix by hand, or using a stand mixer ('kitchen aid'), with the paddle also called the 'leaf'

KitchenAid 7-Quart Stand MixerHamilton Beach Stand MixerStainless Steel Mixing BowlDeBuyer Whisk

10.  Make sure to pour the the Eggs one at a time

11. Mixing will take time, until your reach a dough with a smooth texture

12. For most recipes using the Choux Pastry Dough, you need a Pastry Bag

13. Transfer the dough into the Pastry Bag

14. Push the dough inside the Pastry Bag to remove air pockets

15. Twist to close

Matfer Bourgeat Pastry BagsDisposable Pastry Bags

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Paper or mat ?

In general, you may use parchment paper or a silicon mat, however I often noticed that parchment paper provides better results (the silicon mat isolates the heat and the choux dough will not rise as much)

Another type of mat is the SILFORM mat : A silicon mat with tiny "holes" that makes it easier to bake perfect eclairs (shop for the brand Demarle). Those tiny holes allow for a better heat distribution for better puffs. I bought mine in Paris at:

La Bovida
36 Rue Montmartre
75001 Paris
France

Silicone Baking MatPerforated Baking Mat

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What Pastry Bag tip to use?

For the pastry tip, you may choose a "plain tip" or a "star tip"

French Star Pastry Tips Set, Stainless SteelPlain Pastry Tips Set, Stainless SteelPiping Tips

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What baking tray to use?

If you can, use those baking trays with tiny holes which will allow the air to circulate easily while baking and will make the dough rise faster

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Piping the dough

Pipe the dough as desired:

● For "Choux" dessert, pipe small balls

● For "Eclairs", pipe straight lines

● For "Paris-Brest" desserts, pipe circles

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The tip

16. To erase that "pointing tip" at the end of a choux or an eclair, just dip a finger in a glass of water and reshape slighty

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The baking temperature

The baking temperature is the most difficult part when baking pastry dough

● Not hot enough and the dough will not rise... Puffs will not get puffed up

● Too hot and the dough will "burst" while baking

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Baking for how long?

Bake at 320 °F / 160 °C or at 360 °F / 180 °C. The baking time depends on the shape and quantity of dough to be baked. Choux must rise while baking and then get a golden/brown color

With some ovens, it is recommended to open slightly the oven door while baking to let the humidity escape

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After baking

17. After baking, remove the baked choux from the baking pan (they would continue to bake as the pan is still hot)

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Using with craquelin

The craquelin is an extra dough that you can lay over the eclairs or choux before baking, it will help the dough the rise evenly and will add some crunchiness to the baked dough

Here's the result when baking the choux dough with craquelin