Advertisement
Pâte à Choux
Precooked Batter
Appears in
By Culinary Institute of America
Published 2015
Pâte à choux is a cooked batter created through the combination of liquid, fat, flour, and eggs. When finished, it is piped into various shapes that, once baked, expand and dry into crisp, hollow pastry. The basic steps for making pâte à choux are:
- Combine the liquid and fat and bring to a rolling boil. Usually either water or milk is used as the liquid in the batter, and the two yield very different results. Milk will cause the pastry to darken more quickly in the oven before it has dried out enough to become crisp; that, along with the solids present in the milk, will produce more tender, flavorful pastry. When water is used, the temperature of the oven can be manipulated, starting with a very high temperature to encourage full expansion, and then a lower temperature to dry out the pastries, creating a fully dried pastry that will be very crisp and light.
- Add the flour all at once, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming, and continue to cook until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. The type of flour is also important. Flours with a higher percentage of protein are able to absorb more liquid and will allow for the addition of a greater amount of eggs, yielding a lighter finished product. Additionally, a flour with a higher protein content will develop more gluten strands, making a more elastic dough, which will also help create a lighter finished product. For these reasons, bread flour, which has a protein content of 12 to 13 percent, is best. All of the flour must be added to the boiling liquid at once and blended in very quickly to ensure the full hydration of the starch granules in the flour and the formation of a smooth paste. The mixture should be stirred quickly and vigorously. The precooking and agitation of the batter allow for greater moisture absorption, as well as the development of the gluten in the flour, which creates light, crisp pastry.
- Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a mixer and, using the paddle attachment, mix for a few moments to cool the batter slightly.
- Add the eggs gradually, in three or four additions, mixing the dough until it is smooth again each time. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl as necessary. The dough should have a pearl-like sheen and be firm enough to just hold its shape when piped.
Become a Premium Member to access this page
Unlimited, ad-free access to hundreds of the world’s best cookbooks
Over 150,000 recipes with thousands more added every month
Recommended by leading chefs and food writers
Powerful search filters to match your tastes
Create collections and add reviews or private notes to any recipe
Swipe to browse each cookbook from cover-to-cover
Manage your subscription via the My Membership page
Already a member?
Best value
Part of
Advertisement
Advertisement
The licensor does not allow printing of this title