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Alright, let’s talk Choux Pastry. Also known as Pâte à Choux. If you’re looking for tips to make Perfect Choux Pastry to use in classic profiteroles, eclairs, craquelin, chouquettes etc., then you’re in the right place!
A foolproof recipe for light, airy, puffy, crisp choux pastry (Pâte à Choux)!
I used to eat a lot of eclairs and cream puffs when I was little, so choux pastry has a special place in my heart. And I find it pretty ingenious that choux pastry doesn’t use a chemical raising agent to rise. Instead it uses air and moisture trapped in the dough to rise (water and eggs).
A cross section of a choux pastry case, showing the airy center and a crispy outer shell.
I had maintained for quite some time that I was a choux pastry whiz, because it was one of the first pastries I learnt how to make. But, one day, I just couldn’t get it right! And I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. So I started testing different ways of making it, until I finally understood what made it work for me. If your choux pastry recipe doesn’t always work, then THIS foolproof perfect choux pastry guide is for you. This post will help you understand WHY and HOW choux pastry works, with plenty of troubleshooting tips.
Why is homemade choux pastry simply better?
Store bought choux pastry cases are almost always dry and tasteless. This is true for store bought cream puff shells as well as eclair shells. Homemade choux pastry however, is the real deal! Crisp on the outside and airy & custard-like on the inside. And when you understand how choux pastry works, and what’s happening in each step, it really is super easy to make.
So let’s find out how to make PERFECT Choux Pastry every single time. This is the ULTIMATE GUIDE for making FOOLPROOF choux pastry (pâte à choux), for perfect profiteroles/cream puffs, eclairs, craquelins and other choux pastry based desserts. It’s a lengthy post, where I cover EVERY aspect of making perfect choux pastry, troubleshooting choux pastry problems, tips for profiteroles and eclairs, as well as variations. So hold on tight!
What is PERFECT choux pastry (Pâte à Choux)?
A pastry with a light and crisp outer shell, and a delicious, soft, creamy, custard-like inside. And it’s airy with large air pockets inside as well, perfect to be filled with a sweet filling. A few cracks will be visible on the outside, but it still retains the shape it was piped in.
It can be round for profiteroles/cream puffs and craquelins, or elongated for eclairs.
Personally, I like my profiteroles to be a little softer, and for my eclairs to have a firmer shell. This is because the elongated shape of eclairs hold up well, and are more stable if they are made to have a firmer shell. Profiteroles are more forgiving and foolproof than eclairs, because of their round shape, and as such I like to keep them a little softer. Choux buns (profiteroles, cream puffs), are less likely to collapse compared to eclairs.
BUT, shit can happens when you’re trying to bake perfect choux pastry
What can go wrong with pâte à choux?
Profiteroles or eclairs have collapsed.
They are flat, or look deflated. The eclairs look like they have a concave bottom, or there’s a crack on the bottom.
Choux pastry is too soft and soggy.
Usually profiteroles or eclair shells have a crisp shell. The crispness doesn’t last long when it’s exposed to air or filled with pastry cream. However, they should never ever be soggy.
Profiteroles or eclair shells have a lot of cracks on top.
They have risen irregularly, with lots of cracks, and kind of look like an ugly ass flower.
Choux pastry shell is too dry, doughy or crumbly.
Now let’s see why these things happen.
L to R – 2:1:1:2 ratio recipe, runny dough, dough not cooked longer, extra flour
Choux pastry troubleshooting
Why are my pastry shells flat, soft, and soggy?
Have your profiterole shells collapsed? Do your eclairs have sunken concave bottoms? They’re not the, round, hollow, perfect choux pastry shells you see in bakeries?
So what causes this?
Reason 1
Chances are the dough was too wet and runny. When you pipe out the batter, it probably didn’t hold its shape (see the picture above – the runny batter kind of spreads out). That means it has too little flour, or too much liquid in the form of water, eggs and/or butter.
Reason 2
Removing the choux pastry from the oven too early is another reason why your choux shells will be flat. If they were soggy to start with, then they will not rise properly. But even if they do rise, they will deflate when they cool down, due to too much moisture inside the shell, especially if you take them out of the oven too soon. The shells didn’t have enough time to form a stable crust, so they collapse as they cool down.
Reason 3
You need to prick the shells towards the end of the baking time (and/or after), to allow the shells to dry out. If you don’t, the hot humid air will collapse the soft shell as it cools down.
How to fix pâte à choux that is too runny
This happens if you added too much eggs, OR you didn’t cook the dough long enough, and have too much water in your dough.
Whatever you do, NEVER ADD EXTRA FLOUR! NEVER! Repeat after me – I will never add raw flour to a runny choux pastry dough. I see recipes suggesting this, and it’s just a recipe for disaster.
So then what do you do?
Make another half batch of the cooked dough with water, salt, butter and flour (with no eggs!). Once you’ve made that part of the dough by cooking it in a saucepan and you have the right consistency, let it cool down (covered). Add the cooled down dough to the runny dough a bit at a time, mixing it into the dough well, until you get the right, pipeable consistency. It always works like a charm!
Removed them from the oven too early, or too much moisture in the shells?
If that is the case, leave them in the oven longer (until the shell is a darker brown in color). If you baked them at 350°F or lower, then increase the oven temperature.
And ALWAYS remember to prick your baked choux pastry shells (profiteroles or eclairs) with a skewer or a sharp knife and let the moisture inside the cases escape while drying out the shells. This helps prevent collapsed shells, so you can get perfect choux pastry shells. I also like to prick the shells during the last few minutes of the baking time to help with drying out the pastry shells.
Some recipes call for letting the choux pastry shells dry out in the oven, with the door half open. You can do that too, but if you have another batch of choux pastry to bake, this can be cumbersome. So let the choux pastry cool down in a warm, draft-free area. I prefer keeping them in the kitchen (which is already warm because the oven’s been doing its thing).
My choux pastry shells have too many cracks or it looks irregular.
So you pipe the pâte à choux nice and smooth, but when it comes out of the oven, it looks all kinds of weird.
Reason 1
Pâte à choux dough has undissolved solids or is not smooth. The salt or sugar hasn’t dissolved properly. The dough isn’t smooth because of flour lumps that haven’t been mixed properly, or you added raw flour to the dough after adding eggs.
Chances are there’s stuff in your pastry batter that shouldn’t be in there. Things like flour that has not been sifted or salt that was not melted. This can interfere with the smoothness of the pastry.
Reason 2
Choux pastry was baked at too high of a temperature. The rapid rise of the dough at high temperatures can cause it to crack as well.
Many recipes call for pâte à choux to be baked at two different temperatures. First at a higher temperature for a few minutes, and then finish off at a lower temperature. The reasoning behind this is that the higher temp. facilitates the rise of the pastry because the high heat causes the water to evaporate faster, thereby raising the pastry faster and higher. Then the temperature is lowered and the pastry is allowed to dry out and bake properly.
Reason 3
The piping method can cause cracks as well. This includes the piping consistency as well as the shape of the piping tip (nozzle). If you’re piping eclairs or profiteroles, you need to make sure to pipe consistently.
Ripples in the dough will give rise to cracks. This is especially true for profiteroles. So make sure the tip is always touching the surface of the dough when you’re piping, and you’re applying smooth and consistent pressure, without causing ripples.
While the shape of the piping tip doesn’t really matter when it comes to profiteroles, this can cause irregularities with eclairs. Eclairs piped with a round tip can cause more cracks on the surface, compared to a French star tip that has “finer teeth”.
These lines or marks in the piped dough increase the surface area and allow the eclair shell to expand without causing unsightly cracks. You can check out my comprehensive troubleshooting guide on making eclairs for more details.
How to ensure your pastry cases are not crackly or irregular
Make sure all the sugar and salt are dissolved BEFORE letting the water come to a boil.
I’ve read that the addition of completely dissolved salt apparently helps prevent cracks from being formed on the shell, although I’m not sure why. I didn’t test it without salt to see if that’s indeed the case. You need to add a bit of salt to the dough anyway, because it really enhances the flavor of the choux pastry, so there’s really no reason to go without salt. Just make sure to stir the water-butter mixture frequently to make sure the salt and sugar dissolve well before the water comes to a boil.
Make sure the flour is fine and there are no flour lumps in the dough.
So sift the flour before you add it into the boiling water. This will make sure there are no lumps in the flour to begin with, and that the flour is nice and light. Mix the flour into the water off the heat, so you can really make sure the water is being absorbed by the flour and there are no lumps. I like to use a flexible silicone spatula to do this, and mix the dough by flattening any lumps I see with the spatula as I go. Then I return it back to the heat and mix it further to cook off the extra water.
Cook the choux pastry at a lower temperature throughout the baking time, rather than switching between a high temperature and a lower temperature.
The theory of baking choux at two different temperatures may work for some. And if it does for you, you can keep doing that. However, I find that cooking choux pastry at one set temperature the whole way through, produced more consistent results with a smooth top and minimal cracks. Plus it’s more convenient of course.
I’ve found that the high temperature that most recipes call for, makes the choux pastry expand and rise rapidly, almost chaotically, causing the pastry to split and look ugly.
Piping consistency
Make sure the piping tip is always touching the dough, and not causing ripples in the dough. Also make sure there are no air bubbles in the pastry bags too.
Piping nozzle
If you’re making eclairs, I highly recommend a French star tip. This will also minimize ugly cracks in the eclair shells and help keep the shape of your eclairs.
Why are my pastries too dry, doughy or crumbly
You do get a nice crisp shell, but when you crack it open, it’s not as deliciously “custardy” or soft on the inside. Or even worse, it hasn’t risen at all and tastes like egg bread. Whoopsie!
Reason 1
You added too much flour, or not enough eggs. Not getting a glossy sheen on your dough is a good sign that your pâte à choux is going to be dense and dry.
Or if you added raw flour to your dough because it’s too runny, it can mess with the final consistency too.
Reason 2
You baked it too long, and the shells are almost burnt, and it’s very obviously going to be too dry. Another reason is because you let the choux pastry dry out too much – especially if you let the choux pastry cool in the oven, and you forget to take it out.
This can also happen if you let the choux pastry stand outside uncovered, for hours, after they’ve been cooled. You CAN leave the choux pastry covered in an airtight container though!
Look for that glossy sheen!
How to fix dry pâte à choux shells
Baking time
If you baked it too long the first time, simply reduce the time in the oven by a few minutes next time. Every oven is slightly different depending on how hot it actually is, and also the hot and cold spots you get in every oven.
Dough consistency
Make sure to check the consistency of the dough, and not add raw flour to fix runny dough.
If your dough doesn’t have a sheen even after adding all the eggs, don’t worry! Just add extra eggs until you get that right consistency. Chances are you may have cooked the dough too long and too much water evaporated, but it can easily be fixed by adding extra eggs. Just make sure to add a little at a time, rather than a whole egg at once.
Can I use pastry flour or bread flour instead of AP Flour?
Bread flour has a higher gluten content than AP Flour. Using bread flour can produce pâte à choux that has a thicker shell, and will rise less than choux pastry made with AP flour.
Bread flour does result in profiteroles and eclair shells that are more sturdy, and hold their shape better. So for that reason I prefer using bread flour to make my eclairs.
Pastry flour has less gluten than AP flour. This will result in a lighter pastry case, that rises more. These are great if you want “lighter than air” profiteroles, or maybe if you want to combine it with craquelin. I don’t generally like using pastry flour for my filled choux pastry though – just my personal preference.
Here’s what gives me the most consistent results for choux pastry.
Making the dough
Weigh the ingredients. Each one of them.
Michael Ruhlman’s ratio by weight for choux pastry is 2:1:1:2 of water, butter, flour and eggs. While this works well, I find that adding a little extra flour helps make perfect choux pastry that is crisp and stable. The pastries keep its shape as it bakes – a very desirable result.
Whenever you can, ALWAYS measure ingredients by weight, not by volume. This is true for any kind of baking. While I don’t have a problem measuring by volume for some recipes, I always prefer to use weight because that gives more consistent results. Here’s a good kitchen scale that you can use, that is inexpensive.
With eggs, I like to crack them into a jug, and whisk them before adding to the dough.
Cook the dough first
Choux pastry or pâte à choux, is very unique in that for perfect results, it requires the dough to be cooked first! This unique step results in a really sturdy pastry shell that also has a custard-like texture on the inside.
Always start with cold water (or milk). Add the salt and the sugar to the water. Cut the butter into pats (or smaller), to ensure that it melts BEFORE the water comes to a boil. You don’t want to keep stirring boiling water to melt the butter. Stirring the water frequently while it warms up ensures that the salt, sugar and butter melt before the water comes to a boil.
As soon as the water mix comes to a boil, remove it from the heat (but don’t turn off the stove) and add ALL THE FLOUR IN ONE GO. Mix immediately for about 45 seconds, to make sure there are absolutely no lumps. This is important because you need to mix in the flour well (flour needs to absorb all the moisture of the butter-water mix), and having a smooth dough means that you won’t have cracked shells later.
Then cook the dough further on the stove so that enough moisture evaporates to get a good dough. A lot of recipes will talk of different signs to look for when cooking the dough – from the dough pulling away from the sides of the pan, to the dough looking like mashed potatoes, or leaving a film of dough on the bottom of the pan.
Heating the dough for too long can cause the butter to split from the dough as well. So make sure you don’t do this.
Here’s what I look for
The dough leaving a film on the bottom of the saucepan (if you’re using a stainless steel pan).
Oil droplets forming on the bottom of the pan (if you’re using non-stick pans).
The dough comes together to form a cohesive dough, that pulls away very cleanly from the sides of the saucepan.
Absolutely no flour clumps in the dough.
If I stick a tablespoon in the ball of dough, it’ll stay upright without falling (as shown in the picture below). This is called…. the “spoon test”. If the spoon falls over, that’s a clear indication that there’s still too much liquid/moisture in the dough.
Next step is cooling down the dough
This is important because you don’t want to add the eggs while the dough is too hot. This can cook the eggs, and even give your choux an eggy taste. So you need to wait for the eggs to cool down at least to 160°F.
The way I prefer to cool down my dough is to place the eggs in a bowl, and then flatten the dough along the sides of the bowl. This increases the surface area, so it cools down faster, plus more water evaporates as you do this.
Some recipes call for mixing the dough in a stand mixer for a couple of minutes. This is fine too, but make sure you’re only mixing it on low speed and no longer than 2 – 3 minutes. Agitating the dough too much can cause the butter to split from the dough, and then you’ll get a really oily looking dough.
Adding eggs
The amount of eggs added is variable. Usually it’s 4, which is 8 oz in weight for this recipe (because 1 egg is considered 2 oz, but that obviously depends on the size of the eggs).
As mentioned earlier, I like to have all the eggs whisked well in a jug first, before adding it to the dough. This is because I can add a little at a time until I get the consistency I like. Whisking them beforehand ensures that you get an even mix of egg white and yolks being added to the dough at all times.
If you’d like to, you can add one egg at a time too. Just make sure that the last egg (4th), is whisked in a small bowl and it’s added only a little at a time to prevent the dough from being too runny.
Mix in each addition of eggs before you add the next. You can check the consistency of the dough as you go and make sure you don’t add too much egg. At the beginning you can add about 1/4 cup (or 1 egg) of eggs at a time, but then add the last bit in small increments.
When eggs are first added to the choux pastry, the dough will seem gloopy and slimy. But keep mixing!
The eggs get mixed in. But the dough is still dry, and not smooth, so it needs more eggs.
What you’re looking for here is a dough that looks glossy, but still thick, can hold its shape and is pipeable. Sometimes I only need to add 3 1/2 eggs before I get the right consistency, and if I added all of the 4th egg, then my dough would lose the stiffness I need. If that happens, the dough won’t hold its shape when piped, leading to flat choux pastry. Not good.
The choux pastry dough after half of the eggs has being added. The dough is still dry, and not smooth or glossy.
Why is there variability in amount of eggs added?
Because when you added water to cook the dough previously, how much water gets evaporated during the cooking process can vary a lot. How you measured the water, what saucepan you used to cook the dough, how long you cooked the dough can all have an impact on how much water is left in the dough.
Less water in the dough – more eggs you will need to add.
More water in the dough – less eggs you will need to add.
The type of flour can also have an impact on how much eggs to add.
Pastry flour needs less eggs than if you used AP flour.
Bread flour needs more eggs than if you used AP flour.
This image shows the subtle difference in choux pastry dough consistencies. On left, the dough has almost enough eggs. On the right, the perfect amount of eggs, where the choux pastry dough is smoother, and has a glossy sheen.
Here are some signs to look for in your choux pastry dough, when checking for the right consistency.
The finger test – Drag your finger along the surface of the choux pastry dough to create a trough. The sides of this trough should stay upright and not collapse into the dough. If they do, it’s because the dough is too runny. If the sides of the trough stay up, then it’s the right consistency. Make sure the dough has a nice sheen when you do this test too.
The V test – Place a rubber spatula in the dough, upright, and then stir the dough with it a little, and slowly lift the spatula, straight up. The dough should form a V shape at the end of the spatula (as shown in the picture in the post), if it’s the right consistency.
I use a combination of both tests to check the consistency of the dough. I prefer the finger test over the V test. However, I would recommend using both at the beginning.
Finger test method
Spatula V test
Piping the dough
Tips for profiteroles
Make sure the piping tip is just touching the surface of the piped dough, and move up as you go. This will help create less ripples and folds. This way you will have less cracks in your shell. Alternatively, you can use a spoon or a mini cookie scoop to spoon the dough on to a baking sheet as well.
I do recommend piping though. Also remember to hold the pastry bag (and tip) upright when you’re piping profiteroles, and you’re not doing it at an angle. This way your choux pastry will rise perfectly upwards, and not be lopsided.
Remember to use a damp finger to flatten the apex or any points, otherwise these points will burn when you bake the profiterole shells. However, if you’re topping the choux pastry with craquelin, then you don’t have to do this.
Once you have piped choux dough on one tray, keep the remaining dough in the pastry bag until you’re ready to bake the next batch. The dough will even keep well in the fridge as long as it’s wrapped inside a pastry bag, or an air tight container.
I use either the Wilton 1A Round Tip or Wilton 2A Round Tip for my profiterole pastries and I LOVE my 16 inch disposable pastry bags because they are sturdy, and hold more of the dough. Any 1/2 inch round tip (or similar sized tip) is good for regular profiteroles or cream puffs.
Spraying the baking tray with water or dusting them with sugar
Another trick I use to get the choux pastry shells to expand even more is to spray the baking tray with some water. It’s simple, yet works brilliantly. As the water on the baking tray evaporates from around the dough, it helps “raise” the dough from the outside while the moisture IN the dough, helps raise it from the inside.
However, if you want crispness over volume, then sift some confectioner’s sugar on top before baking.
Tips for piping perfect eclairs
For more in-depth details and pictures, check out my Chocolate Eclairs post.
Eclairs are a bit trickier than profiteroles when it comes to maintaining their shape. But I’ve discussed all the tips and tricks in my eclairs post, so that you too can make perfect chocolate eclairs, every single time!
When piping for eclairs, pipe the dough at an 45° angle and be consistent with the pressure. To maintain the right shape, pipe a tad extra dough at the two ends, so that your eclairs don’t end up oval shaped.
With eclairs, I also prefer to use a French star tip over a round tip. This really helps with maintaining the eclair shell shape. I use a 1/2 inch French star tip from the Ateco French star tip set. I also prefer to use bread flour, so that the dough will be more sturdy (than with AP flour).
Silpat vs parchment paper
Eclairs bake better on silpat than on parchment paper! Who would’ve thought? It’s to do with the heat conduction from bottom, and this ensures smooth, evenly baked eclair shells without cracks or collapsing.
Since I also don’t want my eclairs to puff up too much, I like to dust the eclairs with confectioner’s sugar instead of water. Confectioner’s sugar slightly caramelizes on the shells, giving them a little extra sweetness and a delightful crunch.
For more details, check out this post for tips on how to pipe eclairs and make classic chocolate eclairs.
Baking the choux pastry
Baking temperature
Some recipes call for choux pastry to be baked at two different temperatures. If this works for you, go ahead. As I mentioned earlier, I find that the high temperature makes the shells expand too much, causing cracks. Plus, after I bake one tray of choux pastry, I don’t want to wait for the temperature to rise back up before baking the next tray. So I bake choux pastry at one constant temperature – 375°F, for 35 – 45 minutes, for perfect choux pastries, every single time.
Don’t open the oven door until your choux pastry shells have set properly
Since choux pastry relies on steam to expand while baking, it’s VERY important to not open the oven door until the choux pastry shells have set properly. This means you should never open the door during the first 25-30 minutes of baking (for standard-sized choux pastry; the time goes down for smaller shells and up for larger ones). I wait till the shells are golden colored before opening the door. This prevents steam from escaping too early, which will cause the shells to collapse.
Because of this, I only bake one tray at a time because it’s hard to switch the trays halfway through the bake time.
Pricking choux pastry shells
I used to prick each choux pastry shell with a toothpick as soon as they came out of the oven and were cooling down, in order to dry out the shells. But now I’ve found that pricking the shells during the last 5-10 minutes of baking helps dry out the shells more, and keep them crisp and sturdy. So now I open the oven door at the 25-30 minute mark, prick each shell with a toothpick or skewer during that last 5-10 mins of baking, and allow the steam inside the shells to escape. Use a sharp toothpick to pierce the casings.
For larger pate a choux pastries (more than 2.5 inches in diameter) and eclair shells, I prick them one more time when the choux pastry comes out of the oven (after being baked to a nice, slightly darker golden brown color and crisp shell). Allow them to cool down in a warm, draft-free place (I usually do this near or on top of the oven), so that a sudden temperature change won’t cause them to collapse either.
Filling pate a choux shells (choux pastry)
Once you know how to make perfect choux pastry, you can get creative with filling them!
There are many different types of filling that you can use to fill profiteroles or eclairs! The most popular filling is vanilla pastry cream, which is also known as creme patissiere. You can get the recipe for creme patissiere right here.
What variations can I try with choux pastry dough?
Milk vs Water – You can use 1/2 milk and 1/2 water instead of using all water (4 fl oz each of water and milk). This will give you a softer shell, but it will have more flavor because of the milk.
AP Flour vs Bread Flour vs Pastry Flour- You can also use bread flour or pastry flour instead of AP flour. I prefer bread flour to make eclairs, and AP flour for profiteroles. But you can try either of these and see which you like better. Make sure to adjust the amount of eggs you’re adding to get the right consistency too.
Toppings – You can also make little cookie discs (craquelin) to place on top of the profiteroles, for a crunchy version of choux pastry buns. This version of choux pastries are a called CHOUX AU CRAQUELIN.
I’ve never made choux pastry before. What advice do you have for a beginner?
Just go for it! 🙂 Even if you get it wrong, they are still going to taste delicious! It’s really quite easy to get PERFECT results even on your first try! Just read the 100s of comments I’ve received below from my readers who tried it for the first time and nailed it!🙂
The issue with most recipes out there is that they don’t tell you what signs to look for, to help you get the choux pastry dough perfect. But I’ve taken care of that!
If you are a beginner, start with profiteroles or cream puffs. They are easier and more forgiving to make. Then you can graduate to eclairs, and then even try your hand at these addictively delicious craquelins!
And that ladies & gentlemen, is how you make Perfect Choux Pastry, every single time! : )
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4.97 from 124 votes
Basic Choux Pastry and Troubleshooting guide
Cuisine: European, French
Learn how to make Perfect Choux Pastry step by step – The only recipe guide you will ever need to make choux pastry, with perfect results every time. Plus a troubleshooting guide for your choux pastry recipe. Fool proof choux pastry to make profiteroles, eclairs, cream puffs and more. Each pastry shell in this recipe comes from a spoonful of dough (either piped or spooned on to a baking sheet, roughly 2 inches in diameter). Baking time given here is based on this.EASY – This can be made by novice bakers. However, I highly recommend reading this recipe + post before attempting choux pastry for the first time. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions
Place salt, water, sugar (if using) and butter in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the water is starting to boil (butter should be melted at this point), add the flour in one go (do this with the saucepan away from the stove/heat) and vigorously mix the flour in, so that it absorbs all of the water (use a wooden spoon or spatula to do this). When the flour has absorbed the water and it's forming a dough, return the pan to the stove (medium heat).
Cook the dough for 1 – 3 minutes (over medium heat) while you mix and move it around in the pan until you get a dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan, forms a film or oil droplets on the bottom of the pan, and when you stick a regular tablespoon in the dough, it stays upright. (The cook time will vary depending on your stove top).
Transfer the dough to a bowl, and let it cool down slightly for a few minutes. Add the vanilla extract (if using), and then with a hand-held mixer (or whisk), mix the dough while adding the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Make sure the eggs are lightly beaten so that you can stop adding eggs immediately, when you reach the right consistency (i.e. a dough with a glossy sheen with pipeable consistency. You may or may not use up all the eggs, please see the post for details).
Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper and mist the surface with water (either using a mister or lightly sprinkle water with your hands – this is an optional step).
Pipe the desired shape on to the baking sheet – either using a piping bag fitted with a large tip (I use Wilton 1A or 2A tip, or you can cut the pastry bag opening instead), or spoon it on to the tray, using a teaspoon. Then with a damp finger, flatten the apex and any points.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 – 40 minutes in the center of the oven, or until the choux pastry shells puff up and are golden brown on top. Do not open the oven door, at least until you have reached the 25 minute mark. Importantly, baking time depends on the size of your pastry shell. If you prefer a drier shell, bake for a couple of minutes longer.
During the last 5 – 10 minutes of baking, prick each shell with a skewer or toothpick and let them dry out in the oven while baking.
Remove from the oven, and let the choux pastry cases cool completely in a draft-free area. Preferably in a place that is not cold. (Letting them cool in an open but turned off oven is even better, but not necessary).
Fill with a sweet or savory filling and serve immediately. Or you can store cooled choux pastry shells in an air-tight container for up to one day. To store them for longer, keep them in the freezer in an air-tight container.
Tips & Tricks
Please note – these are instructions for smaller pastry cases (1 1/2 – 2 inches in diameter when piped) . If you require larger profiteroles, you can bake the cases at 420°F for 10 minutes, and then at 350° F for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and puffed up. It may take longer, so keep an eye on the pastry. Bake until they are a dark golden color to ensure that they don’t collapse when cooling down. Or you can bake them at 375°F for a longer time as well.
You can substitute bread flour for AP flour, if you’d like thicker choux pastry that holds its shape better.
Substitute half of the water with milk for softer choux pastry cases that have a better taste.
I read EVERY word on this post (there are a lot! Lol!) but it is so worth it! I followed the instructions to a T and this recipe worked! They came out perfectly and so delicious! Thank you!
I loved this recipe. I’ve tried another before but failed. I made some at night but the next day they were soft. Are there any tips to preserve the crisp shell? Or is this a recipe best done before serving?
Hi Latifa
A choux pastry does not remain crisp for too long. It’s just the nature of the pastry. Once they are filled, they lose their crispness even faster than unfilled ones.
You can crisp it up in an oven (unfilled) if you like, before filling them.
You can also bake the pastries in the oven a tad longer (for a slightly darker color) so that the cases are a little drier and will be crispy for a little longer. This will depend on how dark the puffs are already.
Another option is to use bread flour, to get a thicker shell, which can also withstand getting soggy (especially with a filling inside).
But with all these options, the choux pastry will soften in a few hours because of the moisture IN the pastry itself.
I hope that helps!
Hi Dini, thanks for the detailed info! Two quick questions: why do you prefer static to fan? And how long do you think I should keep the choux in for something larger, like a 2O cm Paris Brest?
Hi Betrice
I haven’t made a paris brest that is as large as 8 inches / 20 cm. So I’m not able to let you know what the bake times will be. It would be longer since you’re baking a pastry that is thicker and larger than individual puffs. However, I would just check on the choux pastry as it bakes, so I can tell when it’s done. It is fairly easy to determine this if you’ve baked choux pastry often. Baking times will also vary depending on your oven as well.
I also prefer static, as the fan ovens I have used in the past have caused my choux pastry to be lopsided. This could be different with newer convection ovens though.
Hi Harriet
You can absolutely leave the dough in the fridge for upto 1 day. However make sure that the dough does not come into contact with the air. I like to store all the dough in an unopened piping bag and seal it well. Otherwise the dough will form a skin.
The dough will also be stiffer when it’s chilled and won’t rise as much. However, I very frequently make my choux dough the day before I bake them.
Hope that helps!
I made a batch from a different recipe that failed because they didn’t rise at all, but then I found this recipe and it worked like a charm.
Your instructions and tips are easy to follow and I knew what to look out for. These profiteroles are amazing and done just in time to ring in the 2021 New Year – the success I needed today 🙂
Love all the info you give very easy to follow!! Definitely recommend reading everything before making. I made a different recipe before with just ok results, after making your recipe I will never use another! They were amazing and held up well when filling. Only had one split and that was me being over zealous in filling 🙂
Keep up the great work and again thank you for all the information!!
I didn’t try this recipe but I used another and my cases stuck to the baking paper and when I finally got them off the bottoms were missing. What did I do wrong?
Hi Shania
If the choux pastry is sticking – It’s usually because the parchment paper wasn’t good. I recommend trying a different brand. I personally love Reynolds.
This recipe seemed very promising but I don’t know what happened. I added the water,salt,sugar and butter and waited till it started boiling. Then, I removed from the stove,added the flour and it was runny. Like too runny. I kept mixing,added it back on the stove but no. All that changed was that lumps of flour started forming. At the end it looked like a very lumpy pudding/custard. Help!
Hi Simon
It’s hard for me to understand what would have happened unfortunately. This dough is never really runny at any stage unless you added too much water or too much eggs or too little flour.
Once the flour is added and it’s mixed in, it already forms a dough that is a little too wet. Once it’s cooked for a few minutes it forms a dough that’s the right consisteny.
It never achieves a custard or pudding consistency at any point.
If the dough is overcooked on the stove, it will become oily and lumpy.
Made choux buns for the very first time, following your recipe to the letter. Was a little concerned, because you call for exactly TWICE as much flour as British Bakeoff winner Edd Kimber, but they were perfect, crisp on the outside, just a touch creamy inside! Or as Edd would say, “Brilliant!”
Hi Zena
With a fan oven, the traditional adjustment is to reduce it by 25 degrees (farenheit), OR to keep it at the same temperature, but take it out a little sooner. Every oven is different, so baking times can vary.
Hope that helps
Hi Archita
The smallest batch that you can make choux pastry is with one egg, which is about 1/4th of the recipe.
The amount of puffs you get will also depend on how big or small you pipe them.
Hope that helps
Hi Dini
I tried it and outside it was perfect but from inside it was a little wet very minute. So I want to know is it fine or it has to be completely dry?
Also, it was almost the size.. didn’t double up much
Hi Archita
I saw the image you sent me on Instagram as well.
They looked pretty good though (although I didn’t see the inside of them). The puffs have a slightly soft interior, but the outsides should be crisp. If the insides are too soft, and the outside hasn’t crisped enough, the puffs will collapse. If this didn’t happen to you, then you’re ok.
I used to make these with my mom ALL the time as a kid. Wanting to give these a go and trying to keep them on the leaner scale, I used brown sugar instead of white and 1/4 cup + tbsps EVOO instead of butter. I made mine bigger and followed you advice regarding misting the tray and pricking only at the very end and they turned out AWESOME! Seriously such a fun and easy bake, definitely worth reading over 2-3 times this article prior to starting to ensure you get it all right. Having everything measured out beforehand made this foolproof and an easy cleanup. So FUN!
Total Novice here! First time making pate a choux and the instructions were SPOT ON! I realized I added too much egg to the 1st batch (they were a little flat), so I corrected the rest of the batter with another eggless batter and the result was a higher, lighter puff. Thank you!!
This recipe is perfect! I’ve never made choux before and I was incredibly successful. I took them out of the oven too early, and still need to work on perfecting the method, but they were great!
I absolutely love these! My first time making choux pastry never mind the rest. I was naughty and hadn’t read all the instructions before I started and ended up with choux batter and no craquelin – but it survived the wait time of an hour while I made and froze the craquelin dough. They rose beautifully although I turned the oven down to 170C when I pricked them as they were gaining too much colour. The salted caramel cream I found too runny with all the salted caramel custard mixed with the chantilly cream so I doubled the gelatine and that worked great. I also saw a post that said they struggled to whip the cream after adding the gelatine – I had the same issue but found 5 minutes in the fridge and then a beat – repeated twice solved the problem. I just love them – thank you so much!
This recipe is amazing! Our first batch turned out not so great but you have such a great guide of “what can go wrong” that the second was puffy and delicious. Your creme pat recipe to go with it is also fabulous! (Learned my lesson on that one and read the notes first. :P)
Hi Dini. Thank you for the recipe. I’ve been making and I seem to get quite a bit of web like crumbs inside the puff. Is that normal? If not, what causes it? Thanks.
Hi Lou
It can be normal. It can happen because of the way the dough is piped (smooth piping = less webbings). But if I have a few webbings, I just remove it or pipe the filling anyway as the filling should push the webbings out of the way.
Hi Monica!
I’m glad you found the guide useful!
As mentioned in the post, using bread flour (or a mix) is perfectly fine. Just expect a change in the texture of the shell, as it will be thicker.
I hope that helps
I just wanted to say thankyou! This recipe and your choux guide is fantastic, and i’ve now made at least half a dozen successful batches of profiteroles. They are so yum!
Hello Dini. Thanks so much for the in depth detail and recipe for the choux recipe. I want to ask, my pastry will puff nicely and they still stay puff but when I cut the top to pipe in the custard, I see a lot of soft yellow crumbs inside. Is it meant to be all hollow? I will cut out the crumbs and then pipe my custard.
Hi! Is there a reason why it’s better to use parchment paper than silpat? I am asking because in my country, the parchment paper is such that things stick to it and silpat seems better. And if using silpat, can I still spray the sheet with water?
Hi Rabiya
Parchment paper is more accessible in North America, and most homes will have parchment paper rather than silpat. I actually recommend silpat for making eclairs over parchment paper, but for profiteroles they are both fine. I prefer silpat, but parchment paper is a cheaper alternative.
However as you said, if the parchment paper in your country is not known for being non stick, then silpat is highly recommended over parchment paper.
You can still spray with water as well! I do prefer dusting the pastry with sugar though – for extra flavor.
I hope that helps
Thank you so much for such a detailed response! I tried the profiteroles with both the chocolate and vanilla creme pat and they turned out great! Everybody loved them! 😀 Will be trying eclairs and choux au craquelin soon!
I made this into cream puffs, or profiteroles, and the pastry puffed, but the holes were spread evenly throughout the shells, making them more like rolls and less like shells. I have had trouble making choux pastry in the past, so I followed the recipe as precisely as I could. I have no doubt it can be done and will absolutely work at it, but would love some help! Any thoughts as to what might be my problem?
Hi Sarah
Just to clarify, do you get “webbings” of the dough inside the pastry instead of one large hole?
This usually happens if the dough was not piped smoothly onto the tray.
However this isn’t too much of a problem as the dough inside the pastry will be soft (and often custardy in taste), and can be removed with a finger (once the pastry has had a hole made in it or cut in half). Let me know if this answers your question or if you needed more clarification!
I hope that helps.
Yes, webbings. I still had dough left in a piping bag in the fridge, and tried again with that, this time making an effort to pipe it smoothly. And it worked! They turned out beautifully, and we loved them! Thank you so much for your very prompt response and the useful advise!
Hi Alicia
As mentioned in the post, you need to make sure the piping tip is always touching the surface of the piped dough. Then slowly move the tip up as you pipe the dough. This will create less ripples and folds in the dough. That’s what it means to “pipe smoothly”. I hope that helps!
Even after piping smoothly, it is absolutely ok to have some webbings in your pastry. You can just easily remove them before piping the filling inside.
Hi Zahra
You can use margarine. But since margarine has higher water content than butter, make sure to adjust cooking times so that you still get the right consistency in your dough when you’re cooking it (before adding the eggs).
I hope that helps!
Hi – Thank you for the excellent details and the informative photos. I have a question that I do not see addressed:
I am using the Choux pastry to make gougeres. (I add Gruyere.) The flavor is consistently good, but the issue is this: Sometimes they come out perfectly crisp on the outside and hollow on the inside (most desirable); other times they are crisp on the outside and, to varying degrees, not hollow on the inside.
I have recently made it my mission to obtain the same (hollow) results every time. I somehow do not feel it is the dough, but the oven temperature/baking time that makes the difference.
I have seen other recipes that call for starting the baking at a higher temp, then lowering it for the longer baking time. (You mention this.) I have done batches starting with your constant temperature and others with variable temps……all fail to give me the hollow inside.
The only thing I have not done is poke a hole in the gougeres…….because I have gotten the hollow insides without doing that I am not sure if that is necessary.
Thank you for your thoughts. (I can send photos of my gougeres if you like.)
Hi Roxann
Choux pastries usually puff up during the first half of the baking time. Which means, pricking the shells at the end of the baking time won’t have an impact on how hollow the pastries will be.
With choux pastry, usually the reason for not having hollow centers is either because the oven temperature wasn’t high enough to create a rise in the pastries, or the dough was too heavy/dense to rise during baking. With the addition of cheese it is likely that the dough is heavier. So it’s possible the dough will need to be compensated for the cheese that is being added, so that it will still stay light enough to puff up during the baking process.
I hope that helps!
Hi Dini, your recipe was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing! Quick question though, if I freeze baked Choux with Craquelin, when I take it out for use, do I just leave it to go room temp or do I reheat it? Thank you
Can someone please help! I have made these 5 times and every time the SAME thing happens. They stick to the baking paper!!! Everything is perfect taste and texture, but when I lift them off the paper, only a very thin layer of pastry has formed and I end up with giant holes on the bottom of the pastries. What is happening?
I follow the recipe to the T, Ive use scales, tried in cold and warm environments etc
Hi Vi
This has never happened to me, so I can’t be sure what might be causing it. If multiple batches are sticking to the parchment paper, I would try a different parchment paper first to rule that out.
If the bottom of the pastry is burnt, then it could be that your oven is running hot from the bottom element and making it burn slightly and stick to the parchment too.
I hope that helps
Hi, it happens to me also. The bottom part was burnt and sticks to the baking paper which creates hole. I am using convection oven. Will try using other nonstick baking paper.
Thanks for your tips. I will try yhis recipe again.
I use a paper parchment that sticks too, usually to most baking gods exeptc with cakes, I also ser that when it s over Cook or long períodos it sticks even more, I made this recipe on aluminum trays and just put a ver y thin coat of oíl and work fine. Just use a spatula to take them out, they pop UP easily.
I just tried these and they came out great – at least the choux did. I’ve got to work on my piping skills. Haha! I’m not sure how much pressure to exert as the dough is coming out of the tip, so they end up wider rather than taller. How long can the pre-baked shells be frozen and how to you get them back to room temp to fill? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Kim
I’m sorry for the late reply! I’m glad that the choux pastries came out well!
I have frozen them for about 1 month. You can let them defrost at room temperature and fill them up. If you like, you can place them on a baking tray and reheat them in the oven (at about 300 F, for a few minutes till they are lightly crisped up and heated) as well. Make sure to let them come to room temperature before filling.
I hope that helps!
Thanks Dini! :))
It’s not my first making chouquettes, but first with a milk base and I’ve scraped in vanilla pods.
Anyway, like the other recipes, the chouquettes outer case became soft after 2-3 hours (even storing in airtight containers). Any idea where I’ve gone wrong / any way to make it more crisp?
Hi Chris
Choux pastry gets soft after a few hours. It’s not the nature of choux pastry to remain crisp for hours / days. The reason why chouquettes may seem crisp is because of the sugar pearls on top. You can bake choux pastry longer, so that it will dry out a tad more, which can make the pastry crisp. However, once it is exposed to air, it will lose it’s crispness after a few hours. The only way to prevent it is to keep them in a vacuum container, or to crisp them up (reheat them) in the oven before enjoying them again.
Hi Dini, thank you for all the detailed steps you have provided, i have read several times and it definitely helped with my choux baking.
I tried making a bigger batch,but since my oven can only bake several choux at a time, i need to bake it in batches.
But i always find that the second and third bake, the choux doesnt puff as much as the first bake ( i even weigh the piped dough in grams just to be sure i dont pipe less than the first batch), do you have any solution to this problem?
Usually when i pipe my first batch, the rest of the dough is on a bowl covered with a plate. I tried to put the rest of the dough in a separate piping bag, but it doesnt seem to work. The resulting choux always come out smaller than the first batch.
I really hope you can help me with this. Thank you very much Dini
Hi Philip
I haven’t had this issue when I bake in batches unfortunately.
The only time the puffs may seem smaller is if I bake the dough after keeping it in the fridge overnight. But they still puff up and are very much still perfect for serving. The reason why they were smaller is because the dough is stiffer after being in the fridge.
I also store any leftover dough in a piping bag, so that the dough has absolutely NO contact with any air. This is not only to avoid a skin forming, but also to prevent further water evaporation.
To give the choux pastry more of a lift, you could try to spray the tray with some water for the second and third tries to hopefully help them puff up more.
I hope that helps!
Thank you for your reply Dini. Yes you are absolutely right about the dough being stiffer,i always find that when i pipe the second batch on the tray,the consistency of the dough has changed (about 40minutes away from the first batch) .
So if the dough has become stiffer, is there a way to loosen it up? Do i add some milk,water or egg to the dough? I always spray the tray with water everytime i bake the choux.
Hi Philip!
If keeping the profiteroles uniform in shape is a priority, then I recommend letting the pastry rest before piping them out and baking them. The dough will be thicker after cooling down completely and “settled”.
Unfortunately you should never add more water or eggs to loosen it up. You can add a little extra eggs when making the choux pastry if you like, but again allow the dough to rest and cool down completely (and thicken) before piping them.
I hope that helps!
Hi, i use this recipe many times but sometimes, when i take it out from the oven to pick a whole, it collapse and not staying to it shapes, and i dont know why, do you have any tips or what might be happening?
Hi Lia
It sounds like you opened and pricked the choux shells too early. Depending on the weather and other cooking variables, your dough can have more moisture in some batches. Rather than going by time, you will learn to be able to tell when you can prick the cases the more you make them. If you prick them while they still have too much moisture then they will collapse.
Hi Renae
I use bread flour for eclairs because I want a thicker shell that is more sturdy, but prefer a lighter shell for my profiteroles.
You can choose whichever bread type you prefer to use as well.
Hope that helps!
Hi Jihan
You can use margarine and you don’t have to use expensive butter. Regular supermarket butter works just as well.
When making with margarine, make sure that the consistency of the cooked dough is the same because margarine has more water than butter.
Hope that helps!
Thank you for this! Super helpful. First time following it and they came out perfectly (even at 5450 ft elevation!) Then…I refridgerated my dough overnight and the second batch baked off all funky. They looked like sad flowers or big nipples hah and were raw inside. Was this because my dough wasn’t at room temp when I baked them the second time? This is my guess.
Hi Taylor
I’m so glad that these worked for you!
I’m not very familiar with high altitude baking, but from what (little) I understand, more moisture is required for recipes that are baked at high altitudes.
When you put the dough/batter in the fridge it becomes thicker and the batter isn’t as liquid as freshly made.
I think you will have better luck if it was brought to room temperature before piping and baking. But there might be a chance that some moisture evaporation is also leading to thicker batter and making it too heavy to rise.
I hope these tips will be right and will work better for you! Let me know if they do (or even if they don’t) 🙂
Hi Ivy
It’s very hard for me to provide an answer without knowing what the issue looks like. Could you describe it or send me a picture?
Has the butter separated from the flour? Or is it soupy?
I haven’t had an issue of the dough coming together at all. Sometimes it might be too wet, but it still comes together.
This is it!! Thank you so much for this step by step recipe, its a lifesaver. I’ve failed so many times trying soo many different choux recipes T.T this one worked beautifully. My first succesfull choux pastry!!! Even my in-laws love it #browniepoints 🙂
I filled them with some chicken ragout as its my hubby’s fav!! Thank you, Dini!
Hi Dini, really appreciate this detailed recipe. I have a really really small convection oven, and I found that I cannot keep baking for 25-30 minutes at 375F and not burning the choux. Any recommendation on the oven setting?
Hi Chouxmaker
I’m sorry for the late reply
With a small convection oven, the heat is going to run hotter. I would recommend starting with a temperature of 350 F and seeing if it works. It my take little tweaking to figure out what would be the right temperature and baking time would be for your oven.
I hope that helps!
Ok, I just started reading & you said, “shit can happen”. I giggled so much that it made me want to read on… thanks for this levity today! Lolol A soul after my own heart!! Cheers to sweets.
Hi! Great article. I have been making them fairly well for years but have a new oven and now have concave bottoms and not sure why. Am not opening oven or anything. Can ingredient mix cause this? They rise but because of the concave, the ‘hollow’ is a lot smaller.
Hi JC
As I have mentioned in the article, concave bottoms can also be caused by a runny dough, or because they are not drying out properly in the oven. This could be a heat distribution issue with your oven as well. I have found using a silpat gives me better results than parchment paper.
I hope that helps!
Hi Angelica
Unfortunately, I don’t recommend making these with yogurt because the fat from butter is required to get the right texture for cream puffs.
I have tried and tried again to make eclairs and other puff pastries, failing miserably every time. But tonight I successfully made three batches and they are wonderful. I read and reread all of your words of wisdom and they most definitely helped me tonight. Thank you!
Hi! i’ve been trying to recreate the choux i made the first time which i succeeded , today i made another batch and it did risen but ended up really small, compared to the first time. and the craqulin ended up breaking easily when biting into it.
Vaughn says
I read EVERY word on this post (there are a lot! Lol!) but it is so worth it! I followed the instructions to a T and this recipe worked! They came out perfectly and so delicious! Thank you!
Vaughn says
Do you prick them at the top, side or the bottom? And if you prick the bottom do you put them back on the tray right side up or on their side?
Dini says
Hi Vaughn
The pastries are too hot to pick up, so I prick them while they’re on the baking tray. So the top, or sides are fine.
I hope that helps!
Zu says
Thanks for the tips.
If I accidentally cooked the dough longer than it should, and the butter have split from the dough, how do I fix this?
Dini says
Hi Zu!
Unfortunately once the butter splits, you’d need to make the dough again.
Hope that helps.
Latifa says
I loved this recipe. I’ve tried another before but failed. I made some at night but the next day they were soft. Are there any tips to preserve the crisp shell? Or is this a recipe best done before serving?
Dini says
Hi Latifa
A choux pastry does not remain crisp for too long. It’s just the nature of the pastry. Once they are filled, they lose their crispness even faster than unfilled ones.
You can crisp it up in an oven (unfilled) if you like, before filling them.
You can also bake the pastries in the oven a tad longer (for a slightly darker color) so that the cases are a little drier and will be crispy for a little longer. This will depend on how dark the puffs are already.
Another option is to use bread flour, to get a thicker shell, which can also withstand getting soggy (especially with a filling inside).
But with all these options, the choux pastry will soften in a few hours because of the moisture IN the pastry itself.
I hope that helps!
Beatrice says
Hi Dini, thanks for the detailed info! Two quick questions: why do you prefer static to fan? And how long do you think I should keep the choux in for something larger, like a 2O cm Paris Brest?
Dini says
Hi Betrice
I haven’t made a paris brest that is as large as 8 inches / 20 cm. So I’m not able to let you know what the bake times will be. It would be longer since you’re baking a pastry that is thicker and larger than individual puffs. However, I would just check on the choux pastry as it bakes, so I can tell when it’s done. It is fairly easy to determine this if you’ve baked choux pastry often. Baking times will also vary depending on your oven as well.
I also prefer static, as the fan ovens I have used in the past have caused my choux pastry to be lopsided. This could be different with newer convection ovens though.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
harriet says
Once I have made the dough can I leave it in the fridge or not before I pipe it?
Dini says
Hi Harriet
You can absolutely leave the dough in the fridge for upto 1 day. However make sure that the dough does not come into contact with the air. I like to store all the dough in an unopened piping bag and seal it well. Otherwise the dough will form a skin.
The dough will also be stiffer when it’s chilled and won’t rise as much. However, I very frequently make my choux dough the day before I bake them.
Hope that helps!
Eunice says
I made a batch from a different recipe that failed because they didn’t rise at all, but then I found this recipe and it worked like a charm.
Your instructions and tips are easy to follow and I knew what to look out for. These profiteroles are amazing and done just in time to ring in the 2021 New Year – the success I needed today 🙂
Dini says
Thank you for letting me know Eunice, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂 Happy new year!
Boadicea Bjorn says
Love all the info you give very easy to follow!! Definitely recommend reading everything before making. I made a different recipe before with just ok results, after making your recipe I will never use another! They were amazing and held up well when filling. Only had one split and that was me being over zealous in filling 🙂
Keep up the great work and again thank you for all the information!!
Nazia Begum says
I just tried this recipe and it came out perfect! I reduced temp by 15 degree as I have fan assisted oven. Wish I could post a pic
Shania Robbins says
I didn’t try this recipe but I used another and my cases stuck to the baking paper and when I finally got them off the bottoms were missing. What did I do wrong?
Dini says
Hi Shania
If the choux pastry is sticking – It’s usually because the parchment paper wasn’t good. I recommend trying a different brand. I personally love Reynolds.
Simon says
This recipe seemed very promising but I don’t know what happened. I added the water,salt,sugar and butter and waited till it started boiling. Then, I removed from the stove,added the flour and it was runny. Like too runny. I kept mixing,added it back on the stove but no. All that changed was that lumps of flour started forming. At the end it looked like a very lumpy pudding/custard. Help!
Dini says
Hi Simon
It’s hard for me to understand what would have happened unfortunately. This dough is never really runny at any stage unless you added too much water or too much eggs or too little flour.
Once the flour is added and it’s mixed in, it already forms a dough that is a little too wet. Once it’s cooked for a few minutes it forms a dough that’s the right consisteny.
It never achieves a custard or pudding consistency at any point.
If the dough is overcooked on the stove, it will become oily and lumpy.
ELoh says
Love this recipe so much, each time I bake this it get snatch up real fast, thank you for sharing.
William Alexander says
Made choux buns for the very first time, following your recipe to the letter. Was a little concerned, because you call for exactly TWICE as much flour as British Bakeoff winner Edd Kimber, but they were perfect, crisp on the outside, just a touch creamy inside! Or as Edd would say, “Brilliant!”
Nicely done!
Zena says
Hi, what would be the correct temperature for a fan oven please?
Dini says
Hi Zena
With a fan oven, the traditional adjustment is to reduce it by 25 degrees (farenheit), OR to keep it at the same temperature, but take it out a little sooner. Every oven is different, so baking times can vary.
Hope that helps
Archita Arora says
I wanted to know what changes to make in the quantity of ingredients in I want to just make 7-8 of these
Dini says
Hi Archita
The smallest batch that you can make choux pastry is with one egg, which is about 1/4th of the recipe.
The amount of puffs you get will also depend on how big or small you pipe them.
Hope that helps
Archita Arora says
Hi Dini
I tried it and outside it was perfect but from inside it was a little wet very minute. So I want to know is it fine or it has to be completely dry?
Also, it was almost the size.. didn’t double up much
Dini says
Hi Archita
I saw the image you sent me on Instagram as well.
They looked pretty good though (although I didn’t see the inside of them). The puffs have a slightly soft interior, but the outsides should be crisp. If the insides are too soft, and the outside hasn’t crisped enough, the puffs will collapse. If this didn’t happen to you, then you’re ok.
Hana says
Fantasticly detailed recipe and tips!! Couldn’t recommend this recipe more! Thank you!
Sigi Cayel says
I used to make these with my mom ALL the time as a kid. Wanting to give these a go and trying to keep them on the leaner scale, I used brown sugar instead of white and 1/4 cup + tbsps EVOO instead of butter. I made mine bigger and followed you advice regarding misting the tray and pricking only at the very end and they turned out AWESOME! Seriously such a fun and easy bake, definitely worth reading over 2-3 times this article prior to starting to ensure you get it all right. Having everything measured out beforehand made this foolproof and an easy cleanup. So FUN!
Shortbreadnyc says
This recipe really was fool proof! Wonderful description and thoughtful presentation. Thank you so very much!
Amy B says
Total Novice here! First time making pate a choux and the instructions were SPOT ON! I realized I added too much egg to the 1st batch (they were a little flat), so I corrected the rest of the batter with another eggless batter and the result was a higher, lighter puff. Thank you!!
AMY BAILEY says
Forgot to include my 5 star rating!!
Nicole says
This recipe is perfect! I’ve never made choux before and I was incredibly successful. I took them out of the oven too early, and still need to work on perfecting the method, but they were great!
Ansu says
After years and years – I got it right thanks to your tips
Clare says
I absolutely love these! My first time making choux pastry never mind the rest. I was naughty and hadn’t read all the instructions before I started and ended up with choux batter and no craquelin – but it survived the wait time of an hour while I made and froze the craquelin dough. They rose beautifully although I turned the oven down to 170C when I pricked them as they were gaining too much colour. The salted caramel cream I found too runny with all the salted caramel custard mixed with the chantilly cream so I doubled the gelatine and that worked great. I also saw a post that said they struggled to whip the cream after adding the gelatine – I had the same issue but found 5 minutes in the fridge and then a beat – repeated twice solved the problem. I just love them – thank you so much!
Michael A says
Great recipe! Thank you for the details. They always turn out great :). I love all the recipes actually that you post!
Dini says
Thanks so much Michael, I’m so glad to hear that! 🙂
Hazirah says
Hi Dini, do i need to use steel bowl or glass bowl to cool the dough before adding eggs?
Dini says
Hi Hazirah
It doesn’t matter if it’s a glass bowl or metal bowl. Whichever bowl you will be mixing the dough in will be fine.
Jamie says
This recipe is amazing! Our first batch turned out not so great but you have such a great guide of “what can go wrong” that the second was puffy and delicious. Your creme pat recipe to go with it is also fabulous! (Learned my lesson on that one and read the notes first. :P)
Lou says
Hi Dini. Thank you for the recipe. I’ve been making and I seem to get quite a bit of web like crumbs inside the puff. Is that normal? If not, what causes it? Thanks.
Dini says
Hi Lou
It can be normal. It can happen because of the way the dough is piped (smooth piping = less webbings). But if I have a few webbings, I just remove it or pipe the filling anyway as the filling should push the webbings out of the way.
Lou says
Thanks, Dini!
Monica Singh says
Hi, I’ve used your guide and had a great run making profiteroles with APF. Was wondering if I can mix up the APF with bread flour for the next batch
Dini says
Hi Monica!
I’m glad you found the guide useful!
As mentioned in the post, using bread flour (or a mix) is perfectly fine. Just expect a change in the texture of the shell, as it will be thicker.
I hope that helps
Sarah says
I just wanted to say thankyou! This recipe and your choux guide is fantastic, and i’ve now made at least half a dozen successful batches of profiteroles. They are so yum!
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know Sarah, I’m so glad you found the recipe and guide helpful! 🙂
Lou says
Hello Dini. Thanks so much for the in depth detail and recipe for the choux recipe. I want to ask, my pastry will puff nicely and they still stay puff but when I cut the top to pipe in the custard, I see a lot of soft yellow crumbs inside. Is it meant to be all hollow? I will cut out the crumbs and then pipe my custard.
Rabiya Moin says
Hi! Is there a reason why it’s better to use parchment paper than silpat? I am asking because in my country, the parchment paper is such that things stick to it and silpat seems better. And if using silpat, can I still spray the sheet with water?
Dini says
Hi Rabiya
Parchment paper is more accessible in North America, and most homes will have parchment paper rather than silpat. I actually recommend silpat for making eclairs over parchment paper, but for profiteroles they are both fine. I prefer silpat, but parchment paper is a cheaper alternative.
However as you said, if the parchment paper in your country is not known for being non stick, then silpat is highly recommended over parchment paper.
You can still spray with water as well! I do prefer dusting the pastry with sugar though – for extra flavor.
I hope that helps
Rabiya Moin says
Thank you so much for such a detailed response! I tried the profiteroles with both the chocolate and vanilla creme pat and they turned out great! Everybody loved them! 😀 Will be trying eclairs and choux au craquelin soon!
Sarah says
I made this into cream puffs, or profiteroles, and the pastry puffed, but the holes were spread evenly throughout the shells, making them more like rolls and less like shells. I have had trouble making choux pastry in the past, so I followed the recipe as precisely as I could. I have no doubt it can be done and will absolutely work at it, but would love some help! Any thoughts as to what might be my problem?
Dini says
Hi Sarah
Just to clarify, do you get “webbings” of the dough inside the pastry instead of one large hole?
This usually happens if the dough was not piped smoothly onto the tray.
However this isn’t too much of a problem as the dough inside the pastry will be soft (and often custardy in taste), and can be removed with a finger (once the pastry has had a hole made in it or cut in half). Let me know if this answers your question or if you needed more clarification!
I hope that helps.
Sarah says
Yes, webbings. I still had dough left in a piping bag in the fridge, and tried again with that, this time making an effort to pipe it smoothly. And it worked! They turned out beautifully, and we loved them! Thank you so much for your very prompt response and the useful advise!
alicia says
hi Dini, what do you mean by piping smoothly? how do i do this? i have lotsnof webbings in mine and have already tried to pipe smoothly?
Dini says
Hi Alicia
As mentioned in the post, you need to make sure the piping tip is always touching the surface of the piped dough. Then slowly move the tip up as you pipe the dough. This will create less ripples and folds in the dough. That’s what it means to “pipe smoothly”. I hope that helps!
Even after piping smoothly, it is absolutely ok to have some webbings in your pastry. You can just easily remove them before piping the filling inside.
Alicia anindya says
thank you!!
Zahra says
Hi. Can I use margarine to make choux pastry?
Dini says
Hi Zahra
You can use margarine. But since margarine has higher water content than butter, make sure to adjust cooking times so that you still get the right consistency in your dough when you’re cooking it (before adding the eggs).
I hope that helps!
Roxann Bilger says
Hi – Thank you for the excellent details and the informative photos. I have a question that I do not see addressed:
I am using the Choux pastry to make gougeres. (I add Gruyere.) The flavor is consistently good, but the issue is this: Sometimes they come out perfectly crisp on the outside and hollow on the inside (most desirable); other times they are crisp on the outside and, to varying degrees, not hollow on the inside.
I have recently made it my mission to obtain the same (hollow) results every time. I somehow do not feel it is the dough, but the oven temperature/baking time that makes the difference.
I have seen other recipes that call for starting the baking at a higher temp, then lowering it for the longer baking time. (You mention this.) I have done batches starting with your constant temperature and others with variable temps……all fail to give me the hollow inside.
The only thing I have not done is poke a hole in the gougeres…….because I have gotten the hollow insides without doing that I am not sure if that is necessary.
Thank you for your thoughts. (I can send photos of my gougeres if you like.)
Dini says
Hi Roxann
Choux pastries usually puff up during the first half of the baking time. Which means, pricking the shells at the end of the baking time won’t have an impact on how hollow the pastries will be.
With choux pastry, usually the reason for not having hollow centers is either because the oven temperature wasn’t high enough to create a rise in the pastries, or the dough was too heavy/dense to rise during baking. With the addition of cheese it is likely that the dough is heavier. So it’s possible the dough will need to be compensated for the cheese that is being added, so that it will still stay light enough to puff up during the baking process.
I hope that helps!
Anna says
Hi Dini, your recipe was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing! Quick question though, if I freeze baked Choux with Craquelin, when I take it out for use, do I just leave it to go room temp or do I reheat it? Thank you
Vi Tran says
Can someone please help! I have made these 5 times and every time the SAME thing happens. They stick to the baking paper!!! Everything is perfect taste and texture, but when I lift them off the paper, only a very thin layer of pastry has formed and I end up with giant holes on the bottom of the pastries. What is happening?
I follow the recipe to the T, Ive use scales, tried in cold and warm environments etc
Dini says
Hi Vi
This has never happened to me, so I can’t be sure what might be causing it. If multiple batches are sticking to the parchment paper, I would try a different parchment paper first to rule that out.
If the bottom of the pastry is burnt, then it could be that your oven is running hot from the bottom element and making it burn slightly and stick to the parchment too.
I hope that helps
Duy says
Hi, it happens to me also. The bottom part was burnt and sticks to the baking paper which creates hole. I am using convection oven. Will try using other nonstick baking paper.
Thanks for your tips. I will try yhis recipe again.
Diego Pfuyo says
I use a paper parchment that sticks too, usually to most baking gods exeptc with cakes, I also ser that when it s over Cook or long períodos it sticks even more, I made this recipe on aluminum trays and just put a ver y thin coat of oíl and work fine. Just use a spatula to take them out, they pop UP easily.
Kim R says
I just tried these and they came out great – at least the choux did. I’ve got to work on my piping skills. Haha! I’m not sure how much pressure to exert as the dough is coming out of the tip, so they end up wider rather than taller. How long can the pre-baked shells be frozen and how to you get them back to room temp to fill? Thanks! 🙂
Dini says
Hi Kim
I’m sorry for the late reply! I’m glad that the choux pastries came out well!
I have frozen them for about 1 month. You can let them defrost at room temperature and fill them up. If you like, you can place them on a baking tray and reheat them in the oven (at about 300 F, for a few minutes till they are lightly crisped up and heated) as well. Make sure to let them come to room temperature before filling.
I hope that helps!
Chris says
Thanks for being so detailed!
I’m looking at making chouquettes. Is egg wash required?
Dini says
Hi Chris,
Egg wash is not required. Also, I have separate post for making chouquettes right here. Good luck!
Chris says
Thanks Dini! :))
It’s not my first making chouquettes, but first with a milk base and I’ve scraped in vanilla pods.
Anyway, like the other recipes, the chouquettes outer case became soft after 2-3 hours (even storing in airtight containers). Any idea where I’ve gone wrong / any way to make it more crisp?
Thanks for troubleshooting
Dini says
Hi Chris
Choux pastry gets soft after a few hours. It’s not the nature of choux pastry to remain crisp for hours / days. The reason why chouquettes may seem crisp is because of the sugar pearls on top. You can bake choux pastry longer, so that it will dry out a tad more, which can make the pastry crisp. However, once it is exposed to air, it will lose it’s crispness after a few hours. The only way to prevent it is to keep them in a vacuum container, or to crisp them up (reheat them) in the oven before enjoying them again.
Lizette says
I love this recipe very much!
Philip says
Hi Dini, thank you for all the detailed steps you have provided, i have read several times and it definitely helped with my choux baking.
I tried making a bigger batch,but since my oven can only bake several choux at a time, i need to bake it in batches.
But i always find that the second and third bake, the choux doesnt puff as much as the first bake ( i even weigh the piped dough in grams just to be sure i dont pipe less than the first batch), do you have any solution to this problem?
Usually when i pipe my first batch, the rest of the dough is on a bowl covered with a plate. I tried to put the rest of the dough in a separate piping bag, but it doesnt seem to work. The resulting choux always come out smaller than the first batch.
I really hope you can help me with this. Thank you very much Dini
Dini says
Hi Philip
I haven’t had this issue when I bake in batches unfortunately.
The only time the puffs may seem smaller is if I bake the dough after keeping it in the fridge overnight. But they still puff up and are very much still perfect for serving. The reason why they were smaller is because the dough is stiffer after being in the fridge.
I also store any leftover dough in a piping bag, so that the dough has absolutely NO contact with any air. This is not only to avoid a skin forming, but also to prevent further water evaporation.
To give the choux pastry more of a lift, you could try to spray the tray with some water for the second and third tries to hopefully help them puff up more.
I hope that helps!
Philip says
Thank you for your reply Dini. Yes you are absolutely right about the dough being stiffer,i always find that when i pipe the second batch on the tray,the consistency of the dough has changed (about 40minutes away from the first batch) .
So if the dough has become stiffer, is there a way to loosen it up? Do i add some milk,water or egg to the dough? I always spray the tray with water everytime i bake the choux.
Thank you for your insight.
Dini says
Hi Philip!
If keeping the profiteroles uniform in shape is a priority, then I recommend letting the pastry rest before piping them out and baking them. The dough will be thicker after cooling down completely and “settled”.
Unfortunately you should never add more water or eggs to loosen it up. You can add a little extra eggs when making the choux pastry if you like, but again allow the dough to rest and cool down completely (and thicken) before piping them.
I hope that helps!
Lia says
Hi, i use this recipe many times but sometimes, when i take it out from the oven to pick a whole, it collapse and not staying to it shapes, and i dont know why, do you have any tips or what might be happening?
Dini says
Hi Lia
It sounds like you opened and pricked the choux shells too early. Depending on the weather and other cooking variables, your dough can have more moisture in some batches. Rather than going by time, you will learn to be able to tell when you can prick the cases the more you make them. If you prick them while they still have too much moisture then they will collapse.
Renae says
Hi, you use bread flour in the eclair recipe but AP flour in this one. Can I use bread flour in this one?
Dini says
Hi Renae
I use bread flour for eclairs because I want a thicker shell that is more sturdy, but prefer a lighter shell for my profiteroles.
You can choose whichever bread type you prefer to use as well.
Hope that helps!
Jihan Azman says
Hello may i ask whether i can substitute the butter with margarine? And does expensive butter work better? Thank you in advance
Dini says
Hi Jihan
You can use margarine and you don’t have to use expensive butter. Regular supermarket butter works just as well.
When making with margarine, make sure that the consistency of the cooked dough is the same because margarine has more water than butter.
Hope that helps!
Taylor Crane says
Thank you for this! Super helpful. First time following it and they came out perfectly (even at 5450 ft elevation!) Then…I refridgerated my dough overnight and the second batch baked off all funky. They looked like sad flowers or big nipples hah and were raw inside. Was this because my dough wasn’t at room temp when I baked them the second time? This is my guess.
Dini says
Hi Taylor
I’m so glad that these worked for you!
I’m not very familiar with high altitude baking, but from what (little) I understand, more moisture is required for recipes that are baked at high altitudes.
When you put the dough/batter in the fridge it becomes thicker and the batter isn’t as liquid as freshly made.
I think you will have better luck if it was brought to room temperature before piping and baking. But there might be a chance that some moisture evaporation is also leading to thicker batter and making it too heavy to rise.
I hope these tips will be right and will work better for you! Let me know if they do (or even if they don’t) 🙂
Cameron Little says
Great article, love the detail about where you can go wrong and how to fix it! My first attempt went great thanks to this!
Ivy says
When I add my flour into my melted butter and water it doesn’t come together how do I fix this
Dini says
Hi Ivy
It’s very hard for me to provide an answer without knowing what the issue looks like. Could you describe it or send me a picture?
Has the butter separated from the flour? Or is it soupy?
I haven’t had an issue of the dough coming together at all. Sometimes it might be too wet, but it still comes together.
Justine Anindita says
This is it!! Thank you so much for this step by step recipe, its a lifesaver. I’ve failed so many times trying soo many different choux recipes T.T this one worked beautifully. My first succesfull choux pastry!!! Even my in-laws love it #browniepoints 🙂
I filled them with some chicken ragout as its my hubby’s fav!! Thank you, Dini!
Chouxmaker says
Hi Dini, really appreciate this detailed recipe. I have a really really small convection oven, and I found that I cannot keep baking for 25-30 minutes at 375F and not burning the choux. Any recommendation on the oven setting?
Dini says
Hi Chouxmaker
I’m sorry for the late reply
With a small convection oven, the heat is going to run hotter. I would recommend starting with a temperature of 350 F and seeing if it works. It my take little tweaking to figure out what would be the right temperature and baking time would be for your oven.
I hope that helps!
Teresa says
Ok, I just started reading & you said, “shit can happen”. I giggled so much that it made me want to read on… thanks for this levity today! Lolol A soul after my own heart!! Cheers to sweets.
JC says
Hi! Great article. I have been making them fairly well for years but have a new oven and now have concave bottoms and not sure why. Am not opening oven or anything. Can ingredient mix cause this? They rise but because of the concave, the ‘hollow’ is a lot smaller.
Dini says
Hi JC
As I have mentioned in the article, concave bottoms can also be caused by a runny dough, or because they are not drying out properly in the oven. This could be a heat distribution issue with your oven as well. I have found using a silpat gives me better results than parchment paper.
I hope that helps!
Angelica Gomez-Balbido says
Hi! I have made a lot of creampuffs before and was wondering if I could substitute butter with yogurt? For a healthier alternative.
Thanks in advance!
Dini says
Hi Angelica
Unfortunately, I don’t recommend making these with yogurt because the fat from butter is required to get the right texture for cream puffs.
AGHG says
I have tried and tried again to make eclairs and other puff pastries, failing miserably every time. But tonight I successfully made three batches and they are wonderful. I read and reread all of your words of wisdom and they most definitely helped me tonight. Thank you!
Lavender says
Hi! i’ve been trying to recreate the choux i made the first time which i succeeded , today i made another batch and it did risen but ended up really small, compared to the first time. and the craqulin ended up breaking easily when biting into it.