Pâte à choux (choux pastry) — literally, “cabbage pastry”, but also considered a variant of pâte à chaud, meaning “hot pastry” — is a French pastry dough made from butter, water, flour, and eggs. The high moisture content in the dough evaporates when baked, causing steam that puffs the pastry into its characteristic shape.
Once you have mastered the art of making pâte à choux, there are a ton of classic French desserts you can make, including cream puffs, eclairs, and the elaborate croquembouche and Paris–Brest!
In developing this recipe, I tested numerous methods of making pâte à choux to not only get the correct proportion of ingredients, but also to perfect the proper shaping, baking, and cooling techniques to help prevent the choux pastry from collapsing or becoming soggy.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT PÂTE À CHOUX
1. Make sure the dough is the right consistency.
Getting the right amount of moisture in the dough is crucial in making pâte à choux. The moisture primarily comes from the addition of eggs. Too few eggs can lead to a stiff dough that won’t have as much leavening power. On the other hand, too many eggs can leave your dough runny, impossible to form, and more likely to collapse (due to the excess moisture).
The perfect choux pastry dough should be glossy and thick enough to cling to your paddle attachment (or spoon) and slowly drip off when lifted out of the dough. If the dough is too thick and doesn’t fall from the paddle attachment at all, you can whisk an additional egg in a small bowl and slowly drizzle it in, a little at a time, until the dough reaches the right consistency — but remember, it is better to have a choux dough that is slightly stiff than one that is runny!
2. Properly pipe and shape the dough.
As a perfectionist at heart, it is sometimes hard not to obsess over getting perfectly uniform pâte à choux. It ultimately comes down to piping and shaping the dough.
I’ve found the best method is to first trace circle guides on parchment paper to ensure your pastries are all similar in size and bake evenly. Alternatively, you could also use a perforated baking mat that already has circle guides marked on it.
Then, pipe the dough at a 90° angle with the table (i.e. straight up and down) in the center of each circle, squeezing with uniform pressure and slowly lifting the piping bag to form a mound. I’ve found that piping in a spiral or coil shape causes the pâte à choux to puff up unevenly and lopsided in the oven and to become more prone to collapse.
3. Bake at 425℉ for 15 minutes, then at 350℉ for the remaining 15 minutes.
Baking the profiteroles at a high temperature (425℉) for the first 15 minutes allows the moisture in the pâte à choux to evaporate quickly, resulting in the characteristic “puff”.
Turning the oven down to 350℉ for the remaining 15 minutes allows them to continue to bake and brown nicely without overcooking them. (Choux pastry has to bake longer than you think; otherwise, they will remain soggy on the inside.)
4. Don’t open the oven!
Challenging, I know… but opening the oven releases the heat and interrupts the baking process that allows the pastry to puff. Opening the oven before your pâte à choux has set is a sure way to have them collapse.
5. Allow the baked pâte à choux to cool completely.
After your pastries come out of the oven, use a sharp knife to poke a hole in the side of each one to allow steam to escape. Then, place them on a wire rack to allow air to circulate around them until they are completely cooled. I actually leave mine uncovered for a few hours to dry out, which helps prevent serving profiteroles that could still have centers that are slightly soggy. If desired, you could even pop them back into a 425℉ oven for a few minutes, just before serving, to crisp them up even more.
A FINAL WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Pâte à choux can be slightly challenging and frustrating at first, but once you have an eye for it, it is so rewarding — and delicious! My hope is that this will serve as a foolproof guide to get you on your way to making perfectly crisp and buttery pâte à choux, every time!
PREPARING THE CHOUX PASTRY DOUGH (PÂTE À CHOUX)
Start by preheating your oven to 425℉.
Before beginning, I recommend tracing twelve 1 ½” to 2″ circles on two pieces of parchment paper fitted to a baking sheet. They should be spaced at least 1 ½” apart on all sides. This will make it easier to pipe the choux dough into similar-sized profiteroles later on, so that they bake evenly and have a more professional look to them.
Alternatively, you can also use a perforated baking mat (they can be difficult to find, but this is my favorite).
In a medium-sized saucepan, add in the milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt, and heat over medium heat just until the mixture comes to a boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour in the flour (all at once). Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
Place the saucepan back over medium heat and continue to stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, until the dough starts to form a film on the bottom of the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and empty the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, you could empty the dough into a clean bowl and continue on by hand with your wooden spoon.)
Turn the stand mixer to a low speed and mix the dough for 1 minute to allow the steam to escape and for the dough to cool slightly.
With the mixer still on low, add in the 4 eggs, one at a time. The dough will look lumpy and curdled, but trust me, it will come together!
When all of the eggs have been incorporated, slowly increase the speed of the mixer until the dough comes together. Then scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix on high for 1 minute.
At this point, the dough should be glossy and thick enough to cling to the paddle attachment and slowly drip off when lifted out of the dough. If the dough is too thick and doesn’t fall from the paddle attachment at all, you can whisk a 5th egg in a small bowl and slowly drizzle it in, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Just remember: it is better to have a choux dough that is slightly stiff than one that is runny!
Spoon the dough into a large piping bag (you could also use a large zipper storage bag) and cut the tip to create a hole about ¾” in diameter. Squeeze and twist the bag so that there are no air pockets in the dough.
Before piping the dough onto the parchment paper, you may wish to adhere the parchment paper to the baking pan. One option is to, with your finger, smear a small amount of choux dough in all four corners of your baking sheet before placing your parchment paper on top. This will prevent your parchment paper from sliding around while you are piping. If you traced circles on your parchment paper, remember to set it in the pan upside down, so the markings don’t transfer onto your profiteroles!
Pipe the choux dough into 1 ½”- to 2″-wide mounds that are about 1″ tall. I’ve found the best method is to hold the piping bag straight up and down in the center of the circle, squeezing with an even pressure and slowly moving your hand upwards (not piping in a spiraling coil). This helps them puff up straight and bake evenly.
Unless you have full confidence in the quality of your oven, I recommend piping and baking one batch (pan) of profiteroles at a time in the center of your oven. Some recipes suggest baking two batches at once (on upper and lower racks in the oven) and rotating them halfway through baking, but I’ve found the best practice is to bake one batch at a time and avoid opening the oven door at all costs, so that the profiteroles won’t collapse.
Dip your finger in water and gently press down on the top of each mound so that it doesn’t form a sharp peak (which ends up cooking faster and burning in the oven).
Beat one egg and 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl until homogenous. Lightly brush each dough mound with the egg wash.
Place the profiteroles in the center of your preheated oven, closing the door quickly to prevent any heat from escaping. Bake them for 15 minutes at 425℉, then immediately turn the temperature down to 350℉ for an additional 15 minutes. Do not open your oven at all during baking!… Difficult, I know, but trust the process!
After the full 30 minutes, remove the profiteroles from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes, or just until you can handle them. Using a sharp knife, poke a hole into the side of each profiterole to allow steam to escape and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat this process for any subsequent batches of profiteroles, remembering to bring your oven back up to 425℉.
You can serve the profiteroles immediately after they are cooled, but I actually like to let them sit out for a few hours to allow time for the centers to dry out. At this point, you could also place the profiteroles in an airtight container and freeze them for later.
PREPARING THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Add the heavy cream and chocolate into a heat-proof bowl and place it over a pot of simmering water.
Continue to heat and stir the mixture until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and add, if desired, stir in the Kahlùa. The chocolate sauce will thicken as it cools. You can reheat any leftover chocolate sauce in the same manner or by placing it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds at a time, until just warm and loosened.
ASSEMBLING AND SERVING THE PROFITEROLES
Cut the profiteroles in half and place a scoop of your favorite ice cream in each (I use a small cookie scoop).
Drizzle the tops of each profiterole with chocolate sauce and serve immediately.
Profiteroles (Foolproof Pâte à Choux)
Ingredients
For the Choux Pastry Dough (Pâte à Choux)
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 additional large egg (for the egg wash)
For the Filling
- Good-quality ice cream
For the Chocolate Sauce
- 10 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp Kahlúa coffee liqueur (optional)
Equipment
- Perforated Baking Mat (I use this one)
Instructions
Preparing the Choux Pastry Dough (Pâte à Choux)
- Preheat oven to 425℉.
- If using parchment paper, trace twelve 1 ½" to 2" circles on two pieces of parchment paper cut to the size of a baking sheet. The circles should be spaced apart (at least 1 ½") on all sides.Alternatively, set a perforated baking mat (with circle guides) on a baking sheet. This is the one I use.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine milk, water, butter, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium heat just until the mixture comes to a boil.½ cup milk½ cup water½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter1 Tbsp granulated sugar½ tsp kosher salt
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour in flour (all at once). With a wooden spoon, stir vigorously until the dough comes together.1 cup all-purpose flour
- Set the saucepan back over medium heat and continue to stir vigorously until the dough begins to form a film on the bottom of the saucepan (about 1 to 2 minutes).
- Remove the pan from heat and empty the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or, alternatively, a large clean bowl, continuing on using the wooden spoon).
- Mix on low speed for 1 minute, allowing the dough to cool slightly and for the steam to escape.
- With the mixer still on low speed, add in eggs, one at a time. (Don't worry if the dough looks lumpy and curdled; it will eventually come together.)4 large eggs, at room temperature
- When all the eggs have been incorporated, slowly increase the mixing speed to high. Mix on high speed until the dough comes together. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then continue to mix on high for 1 minute more.Pro tip: The dough should appear glossy. It should also be thick enough to cling to the paddle attachment, but slowly drip off when lifted from the bowl. If it is too thick, whisk a 5th egg in a small bowl and slowly drizzle it into the bowl, while mixing, until the dough reaches the right consistency. (However, it is better to have a stiffer dough than an runny one, so I recommend erring on the safe side and not adding in too much more egg.)
- Spoon the dough into a large piping bag (or large zipper storage bag) and cut the tip to create a hole about ¾" in diameter. To help remove air pockets, gently squeeze and twist the bag.Pro tip: If using parchment paper, you can use a small amount of dough to adhere the parchment paper to the baking sheet at all four corners (to prevent it from sliding).
- Onto the parchment paper (with the traced circles facing down to prevent the markings from transferring) or the baking mat, pipe the dough into 1 ½"- to 2"-wide mounds about 1" tall. (I recommend baking one batch at a time on a single pan.)Pro tip: To make the proper shape, hold the piping bag straight up and down in the center of the circle and, using an even pressure, squeeze while slowly moving the bag away from the mat or paper. (Do not pipe the dough into a spiral or coil — they will not puff up properly.)
- To prevent sharp peaks that will inevitably cook faster (and burn in the oven), dip your finger in water and gently press down on the tops of each mound.
- In a small bowl, whisk egg and 1 tsp of water until homogenous. Lightly brush each dough mound with egg wash.1 additional large egg
- Set baking sheet in center of preheated oven, quickly closing the oven door to prevent heat from escaping. Bake at 425℉ for 15 minutes, then immediately turn down oven temperature to 350℉ and bake for an additional 15 minutes. (Note: Do not open the oven during baking!)Pro tip: To avoid having to open the oven door (to switch and rotate multiple pans), I recommend baking one batch at a time on a single pan, leaving the oven door closed for the entire 30 minutes.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and allow profiteroles to cool until they can be handled (about 5 minutes). Using a sharp knife, poke a hole into the side of each profiterole (to allow steam to escape). Set profiteroles onto a cooling rack to cool completely. If desired, freeze in airtight containers or zipper storage bags, heating them in a 425℉ oven for 5 minutes when ready to serve.Pro tip: I like to let the finished profiteroles sit out for several hours to ensure that the centers have fully dried out before serving them.
- Repeat steps 11 to 15 with subsequent batches, remembering to increase the oven temperature back up to 425℉.
Preparing the Chocolate Sauce
- Create a double boiler by setting a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add in cream, then chocolate. Heat mixture, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is smooth and fully melted.1 cup heavy cream10 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- Remove from heat and, optionally, stir in Kahlùa. Allow the chocolate sauce to cool slightly (it will thicken as it cools).2 Tbsp Kahlúa coffee liqueur
Assembling and Serving the Profiteroles
- When ready to serve, cut each profiterole in half. Using a small cookie, scoop a small amount of ice cream into the center of each.Good-quality ice cream
- Drizzle the top of each profiterole with chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.Pro tip: Leftover chocolate sauce can be reheated over a double boiler (as before) or in the microwave for short bursts of 10 to 15 seconds, until warm and loosened.
Notes
- Freezing Profiteroles: Once cooled, place the profiteroles into an airtight container or zipper storage bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, place them in a 425℉ oven for about 5 minutes to defrost.
