Choux Pastry – cream puffs, eclairs and crackers

Ingredients

• 150 ml Water (filtered water, at room temperature)
• 2 g Fleur de sel (fine sea salt)
• 2 g Sugar (granulated white sugar)
• 65 g Butter (unsalted butter, diced)
• 85 g T55 flour (all‑purpose flour)
• 3 pcs Whole eggs (L‑size eggs, at room temperature)
• 40 g Butter (for the cracker) (softened butter, at room temperature)
• 1 g Fleur de sel (for the cracker)
• 50 g Brown sugar (brown sugar)
• 50 g T45 flour (for the cracker) (low‑gluten flour, ideal for the cracker)

Instructions

1. Bring the liquid to a boil

   In the saucepan, pour 150 ml of water, add 2 g of fleur de sel, 2 g of sugar and the 65 g of diced butter. Heat over medium heat until the butter is fully melted and the mixture comes to a boil.

   Time: PT5M

2. Incorporate the flour all at once

   Remove the saucepan from the heat, immediately add the 85 g of T55 flour in one go and stir vigorously with a spatula until you obtain a very thick and homogeneous dough, similar to a roux.

   Time: PT1M

3. Dry the dough (panade)

   Return the saucepan to low heat and dry the dough for 5 to 6 minutes while continuously scraping the sides with the spatula. To speed up, press the dough against the sides to increase the contact surface.

   Time: PT6M

4. Let the panade cool

   Transfer the dough to the mixer bowl, let rest about 10 minutes at room temperature so it cools slightly before adding the eggs.

   Time: PT10M

5. Incorporate the eggs in three batches

   Crack the 3 eggs into a small bowl, beat lightly. Pour one‑third of the egg mixture onto the panade and mix with the mixer fitted with the whisk until fully incorporated. Repeat two more times, being careful not to over‑work the dough.

   Time: PT5M

6. Chill

   Cover the choux pastry with plastic film and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours (or up to 24 h) to firm up before piping.

   Time: PT2H

7. Prepare the cracker (optional)

   In the mixer bowl, combine 40 g of softened butter, 1 g of fleur de sel, 50 g of brown sugar and 50 g of T45 flour with the paddle until you obtain a sandy texture. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of 2 mm, refrigerate for 1 hour, then cut 4 cm disks with a cutter.

   Time: PT75M

8. Preheat the oven

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (static heat).

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: 200°C

9. Pipe the cream puffs or eclairs

   Fill a piping bag fitted with an 18 mm metal tip with the cooled choux pastry. On the perforated silicone mat, form 3 cm balls (cream puffs) or regular strips (eclairs). If using the cracker, place a cracker disk on each puff before baking.

   Time: PT10M

10. Bake the cream puffs

    Bake the puffs at 200 °C, immediately lower the temperature to 180 °C and bake for 35 minutes. Ten minutes before the end, reduce to 140 °C to finish baking and achieve a nice color.

    Time: PT40M

    Temperature: 180°C then 140°C

11. Cooling

    Remove the puffs from the oven and let cool on a rack at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before filling.

    Time: PT30M

12. Filling (optional)

    Fill the puffs or eclairs with vanilla pastry cream (or chocolate, pistachio, citrus…) using a filling tip. Pierce the base with the tip of a knife or a small tip before filling.

    Time: PT15M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

100

Protein

2 g

Carbohydrates

12 g

Fat

5 g

Fiber

0.5 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Fleur de sel: table salt
• Instead of Sugar: cane sugar
• Instead of Butter: vegetable margarine (for lactose‑free version)
• Instead of T55 flour: type 45 wheat flour
• Instead of Whole eggs: organic chicken eggs
• Instead of Butter (for the cracker): vegetable margarine
• Instead of Fleur de sel (for the cracker): table salt
• Instead of Brown sugar: brown sugar
• Instead of T45 flour (for the cracker): all‑purpose flour

Equipment Needed

• Saucepan
• Whisk
• Hand mixer with whisk
• Mixer bowl
• Piping bag with 18 mm metal tip
• Perforated silicone baking mat
• Parchment paper
• Rolling pin
• 4 cm round cutter
• Oven
• Cooling rack
• Wooden spatula
• Oven thermometer (optional) (optional)
• Knife or tip for piercing the puffs (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Properly dry the dough (panade) for 5‑6 minutes.
• Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
• Reduce the oven temperature without opening the door during baking.
• Do not open the oven during the puff baking.
• Allow to cool completely before filling.

Chef Tips from the Video

• For a lighter dough, sift the flour before adding it.
• Using a silicone piping bag prevents dough blockages.
• A thin stream of water on the oven floor creates steam and helps the puffs rise.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the puffs in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Freezer: Puffs can be frozen for 1 month; thaw at room temperature then reheat 5 min at 150 °C.

Room temperature: Consume within 2 hours after baking, otherwise they will lose their crunch.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Choux pastry can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator for 24 h before piping.
• The cracker can be made 1 day ahead and kept chilled until use.
• Baked puffs can be frozen and filled at serving time.