Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter – cut into pieces
1 cup water
4 large eggs – room temperature (this is particularly important)
Directions for Choux Pastry
Preheat your oven to 400° F and place a rack in the center.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease the baking sheets with butter.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine.
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and water and bring to a boil.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
Return saucepan to the heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from sides of the pan and forms a thick smooth ball (about 2 mins.) This is important that you don’t stop until the dough is at the correct stage. Set aside for about 5 minutes to cool enough so the eggs do not begin to cook when added.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and fully incorporating the egg before adding the next. The dough should thicken and look shiny and smooth.
Using a spoon, scoop the dough onto the prepared pans in dollops about 2 inches across. Leave about 2 inches between each mound. You can make them larger if you wish.
OR:
For a more polished appearance, spoon the mixture into the pastry bag and pipe out 2-inch rounds onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between each round. You can make them larger if you wish.
Baking (and while baking!)
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until they are a deep golden brown all over. Do not open the door until they are close to the end of baking – they may deflate if the oven is opened early on.
Transfer to wire racks to cool completely before filling. You can poke a small hole in the side of the cream puffs to let steam escape if you do not want the inside too moist.
Once cool, use a serrated knife to split the cream puffs horizontally.
