Pâte à Choux
The versatile cooked paste behind éclairs, Paris-Brest, choux, and more
CAP version (standard)
- 250 g water
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 5 g fine salt
- 150 g flour T55
- 200–250 g whole eggs, beaten
Grolet version (enriched)
- 300 g water
- 300 g whole milk
- 12 g fine salt
- 25 g caster sugar
- 270 g unsalted butter
- 330 g flour T65
- 540 g whole eggs, beaten
Craquelin (optional)
- 25 g unsalted butter, soft
- 25 g flour
- 25 g light brown sugar
Pâte à choux is unique among pastry doughs: it is cooked twice — first on the stovetop to drive off excess moisture and develop the starch, then in the oven where the steam it generates causes the shells to puff hollow. The result is a crisp, golden vessel that can hold almost any filling. The CAP version uses water only for a lighter, crispier result. The Grolet version — milk, butter, and sugar enriched — gives a deeper colour, richer flavour, and a more indulgent shell suited to pastry-shop éclairs and Paris-Brest.
Method
Panade
- Combine the liquid(s), butter, salt (and sugar for Grolet) in a saucepan. Melt the butter gently — do not let it boil before the butter has melted completely or you will evaporate too much liquid.
- Bring to a boil for a few seconds only. Remove from heat immediately.
- Add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously, pressing and turning the paste against the sides of the pan to dry it out. Return to medium heat and continue drying until the paste pulls cleanly away from the sides and a thin film forms on the bottom — about 2 minutes. This is the panade.
Adding the eggs
- Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Mix on low speed until no more steam rises from the paste.
- Add the beaten eggs gradually — a little at a time — mixing after each addition until fully incorporated before adding more. Blending the eggs first ensures even distribution and prevents the chalazae from creating lumps.
- Stop when the paste is smooth, glossy, and falls from the paddle in a thick ribbon that folds back slowly — a ruban cassant. You may not need all the egg, especially if your panade was well dried.
Piping & baking
- Pipe into the desired shapes: rounds for choux à la crème, logs for éclairs, a ring for Paris-Brest. Score the surface lightly with a fork or use a ridged nozzle.
- For craquelin: mix butter, flour, and brown sugar until smooth. Roll to 2 mm between two sheets of parchment. Freeze. Cut discs slightly larger than the choux and place on top before baking.
- Brush lightly with egg wash if colour is desired.
- Bake at 180–190 °C. Do not open the oven during the first 20 minutes or the shells will collapse. For éclairs: 25–30 min. For choux: 20–25 min. The shells must be fully golden and feel hollow and light when tapped.
- Transfer to a rack immediately. Pierce the base to release any residual steam and prevent sogginess.
Background
The panade step is where most failures are set in motion. Under-drying the paste means too much moisture remains, which dilutes the egg proteins and produces flat, dense choux. Over-drying stiffens the starch and makes it difficult for the eggs to incorporate smoothly. The right sign is a clean pan with a slight film — not a dry crumble — and a paste that holds its shape when pressed.
Egg quantity is variable because it depends on how well you dried the panade. Always beat all the eggs together before adding them so they are homogeneous. Never add them straight from the shell in sequence — the last egg is often too much if not measured. Reserve 20–30 g and add only if needed.
The Grolet version uses half milk, half water. The lactose in the milk accelerates Maillard browning, giving the shells a deeper amber colour. The extra butter and sugar make a richer shell, but also mean the paste must be watched carefully to avoid burning. T65 flour provides slightly more protein structure for a larger, more uniform puff.
Craquelin solves one of the classic problems with choux: uneven puffing. The biscuit disc weighs down the top evenly as the choux expands, producing perfectly round, flat-topped balls with a light crunch. It has become standard in modern pastry for choux à la crème.
The rule about not opening the oven is non-negotiable. Steam inside the shells is the leavening agent. Open the door too early and the pressure equalises, the structure collapses, and no amount of additional baking will puff them back up.
Mistakes I've Made
- Flat, dense choux. Almost always under-dried panade. The paste must come away from the sides cleanly and the thin film on the pan base must be visible before removing from heat.
- Too much egg. Adding eggs by eye and overshooting — the paste becomes too loose and spreads rather than holding its shape when piped. Weigh the eggs and add incrementally.
- Opened the oven too early. The shells collapsed. The steam must build inside before any cool air gets in. Lock the oven and wait at least 20 min.
- Soggy bottoms after filling. Didn't pierce and dry the shells after baking. Always pierce the base and return to the oven for 5 min with the door ajar to dry out the interior.
- Butter boiling away before melting. Rushing the heat causes the liquid to evaporate and the butter to separate. Start on low heat, wait for the butter to melt fully, then bring to a brisk boil.
Sources
- Pâte à Choux | CAP —
- Pâte à Choux —
- Big Choux Workshop —