The Choux pastry (pâte à choux) got this name because it is like a small cabbage (Bruxelle Cabbage), It contains only butter, water, flour, and eggs. The perfect choux pastry has a round shape, and don’t have a big [punched head], it is hollowed from inside, and slightly crispy from outside.

What You Can Make With A Basic Choux Pastry Dough?

The Choux pastry is the base of so many French pastry recipes, like swans, éclairs, Chouquettes, and the Paris-Brest. The fried Churros, from Spain; also the Italian Zeppole dan Giuseppe. From Austrian cuisine, Marillenknödel recipe, which is a sweet choux pastry dumpling, filled with apricots, and cooked in simmering water.

YIELDS: 20-40 Choux Pastries

Ingredients

• 100g flour
• 75g unsalted butter, diced
• 8cl water
• 8cl whole milk
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• A pinch of salt (approx. 1/3 tsp)

Method

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk, water, butter, salt, and sugar,
   to a full rolling boil, stirring with a wooden spatula.
2. Remove the liquid from the heat, and add the flour, in a steady
   stream.
3. Over medium heat, stir vigorously, with a wooden spatula or a
   whisk, about 5 minutes, until the batter becomes glossy, smooth
   and homogeneous.
4. When the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the pan,
   continue to stir quickly, about 2 to 3 minutes, to dry it. When you
   see the first vapor, stop cooking. At this stage, the batter is ready to
   take the eggs.
5. Remove the dough from the heat, continue to stir, forming a
   smooth ball.
6. Transfer the dough to a bowl, to cool slightly, then starting to add
   the eggs, one at a time, wait until completely absorbed before adding another egg, stirring continuously (Use a spatula or an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, but the spatula is better).
7. Check the consistency of the dough, before adding more eggs, the dough should be smooth, glossy, elastic, firm and should slide back down, forming a ribbon, but retain its shape if piped, at this stage the dough is ready for piping.
8. On a non-stick tray, pipe the dough straight away, into the desired shape, using a piping bag fitted with a large nozzle.
9. Bake at 425° F, until fully puffed, about 8-10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375° F, and bake 8-10 minutes more.
10. Once cooked, prick the base of each choux pastry, to release the steam. Let the choux pastry (pâte à choux) to cool, at room temperature.
11. Serve the choux pastry as Profiteroles, Religieuses, Eclairs, Swans, cream puffs, filled with Chantilly cream or a Croquembouche.