Master Recipe Pâte à Choux Dough

Steps:

• PREP/PREPARE
• Gather your ingredients.
• Place the butter, and the water into a saucepan, over medium heat.
• When the butter is melted and the liquid is simmering, add the salt, and stir to combine.
• Dump in the flour all at once, and begin stirring, using a wooden spoon.
• Chef's Note: You'll be doing a lot of stirring.
• Continue to stir, making sure you incorporate all of the flour into the liquid.
• Keep stirring until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the saucepan, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Continue to cook and stir for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
• Chef's Tip: Start stirring gently until the liquid and the flour are incorporated. Then get more vigorous and slap the dough against the sides of the pan. Eventually, the dough will pull away from the sides, and leave a film on the bottom of the pan. When that happens... you can stop stirring, and remove the pan from the heat.
• Remove the dough from the pan, and place into a stand mixer bowl, fitted with a paddle attachment, and allow the dough to cool for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Chef's Note: You could perform the next steps by mixing with a wooden spoon; however, life's too short for that, and I've done enough stirring for one day.
• Put the stand mixer on slow speed and add the eggs, one at a time.
• Chef's Tip: Allow each egg to fully incorporate into the dough before adding next.
• At the end of the process, the dough should look nice and creamy.
• A BASIC RECIPE
• Place a rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 425f (220c).
• Place heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and separate each ball by 1 inch (2.5cm).
• Chef's Note: I prefer to use a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
• Place into the preheated oven, and bake for 20 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 375f (190c), and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the pâte à choux are nice and golden.
• PLATE/PRESENT
• Dust with some powdered sugar, and serve while still nice and warm. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

Steps:

• Bring butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides and a film forms on bottom of pan, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute. Raise speed to medium; add whole eggs, 1 at a time, until a soft peak forms when batter is touched with your finger. If peak does not form, lightly beat remaining egg white, and mix it into batter a little at a time until it does.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In 2 quart pot, combine the butter and water. On a piece of wax or parchment paper, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Bring the water and butter to a rolling boil, remove from heat and dump the flour mixture in all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon or paddle to incorporate.
• Return the saucepot to high heat and cook, stirring, for about one minute. The mixture will form a ball and coat the pan with a thin film.
• Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl or standing mixer equipped with the paddle attachment. Mix the dough for a minute or so, on low speed, to release some of the heat. Add the eggs, one at a time, completely incorporating each one before adding the next. Beat until the dough gets thick and ribbony.
• Fit a pastry bag with a round #5 tip and fill with the warm dough. Line a heavy cookie sheet with parchment paper and anchor it to the tray with a little dab of the dough at each corner. Pipe about forty to forty five 1 1/2-inch mounds about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and puffed. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes or until they are golden brown and there are no droplets of moisture in the crevices. Turn off oven and leave the choux to dry for another 10 minutes. Use when cool, or freeze, wrapped in a plastic bag, for 2-3 months.

Steps:

• Combine water, butter, sugar, and saltin a medium saucepan over medium-highheat. Bring mixture to a boil, and immediately remove from heat. Stir in the flour.When flour is combined, return to heat. Thismixture is called a panade. Dry the panadebystirring constantly for 4minutes. It isready when it pulls away from the sidesand a film forms on the bottom of the pan.
• Transfer panade to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,and mix on low speed, about 2minutes,until slightly cooled. Add the eggs one at atime on medium speed, letting each oneincorporate completely before adding thenext. Add the last egg a little at a time until the batter is smooth and shiny. Test thebatter by touching it with your finger andlifting to form a string. If a string does notform, the batter needs more egg. If youhave added all the egg and the batter stilldoesn't form a string, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until it does.
• The batter may be used immediately orstored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2days. To use chilled,remove from the refrigerator, and stir tosoften before filling piping bag.