baker1 > wrote in
:

> Used Julia Child's recipe but got flat bread instead. Choux might
> have been a bit thin (used all 6 eggs)...is this why they didn't puff?
> I've got the pastry cream ready to go, but need to get these puffs
> going.
>
> Thanks for any help.
>

Are we to take it that you've already baked them and they didn't puff?
If so, there's nothing else you can do at this point.

The choux paste should be fairly stiff, and not at all thin. The oven
should be fairly hot and dry, around 400°F. It's the eggs and heat that
give the "puff". I don't have Julia's recipe, but I use the following
one with regular success.

Choux Paste

----- Step One -----
2 Cups Water
1/2 pound Butter

----- Step Two -----
2 Cups Flour

----- Step Three -----
8 Whole Eggs


[1) In a round braiser, melt Butter in Water, and bring to a boil.

[2) Add Flour and stir with either a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Stir until batter leaves sides of braiser.

[3) Take off heat and put in Mixer with paddle.

[4) Mix on low speed and add eggs one by one, allowing each egg to mix
into the batter.

[5) Pipe out of a pastry tube into 1" by 5 1/4" eclairs, onto a lightly
oiled full sheet pan.
Pipe 2" rounds for cream puffs.

[6) Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Inside should be dry.

Open oven door, turn off oven and let pan sit on open door to cool slowly
so they do not collapse.

--
Wayne in Phoenix

If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.

Yeah, they didn't rise, tossed them all out. Perhaps it was a bit too
thin. I saw Alton Brown the other day making elairs and it looked
pretty cool. I'll try again. Thanks


On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 02:58:57 GMT, Wayne > wrote:

>baker1 > wrote in
:
>
>> Used Julia Child's recipe but got flat bread instead. Choux might
>> have been a bit thin (used all 6 eggs)...is this why they didn't puff?
>> I've got the pastry cream ready to go, but need to get these puffs
>> going.
>>
>> Thanks for any help.
>>
>
>Are we to take it that you've already baked them and they didn't puff?
>If so, there's nothing else you can do at this point.
>
>The choux paste should be fairly stiff, and not at all thin. The oven
>should be fairly hot and dry, around 400°F. It's the eggs and heat that
>give the "puff". I don't have Julia's recipe, but I use the following
>one with regular success.
>
>Choux Paste
>
> ----- Step One -----
> 2 Cups Water
> 1/2 pound Butter
>
> ----- Step Two -----
> 2 Cups Flour
>
> ----- Step Three -----
> 8 Whole Eggs
>
>
>[1) In a round braiser, melt Butter in Water, and bring to a boil.
>
>[2) Add Flour and stir with either a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
>Stir until batter leaves sides of braiser.
>
>[3) Take off heat and put in Mixer with paddle.
>
>[4) Mix on low speed and add eggs one by one, allowing each egg to mix
>into the batter.
>
>[5) Pipe out of a pastry tube into 1" by 5 1/4" eclairs, onto a lightly
>oiled full sheet pan.
>Pipe 2" rounds for cream puffs.
>
>[6) Bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Inside should be dry.
>
>Open oven door, turn off oven and let pan sit on open door to cool slowly
>so they do not collapse.

baker1 > wrote in message >. ..
> Used Julia Child's recipe but got flat bread instead. Choux might
> have been a bit thin (used all 6 eggs)...is this why they didn't puff?
> I've got the pastry cream ready to go, but need to get these puffs
> going.
>
> Thanks for any help.

It is important in the preparation of the choux paste that the
procedure is followed and understood.
It is very common with home cooks to be good reader of recipes but
poor followers of the steps involved.
Choux paste is just a simple pastry base but each preparation step
must be done properly.
IF you say that your paste resulted in flat bread instead of plump
looking and open textured product you made a mistake elsewhere in
your step. Try to retrace what have you done.
I am not familiar with the so called Julia's recipe but I assume that
recipe was well tested by the author.
The fault that arises comes from the user of the recipe who may have
missed some very important detail in the process.
Indeed Vox is right it is important that you use a strong flour. But
all purpose flour can still produce a satisfactory choux if you know
what you are doing.
You have to boil the water and fat, and when its rolling boil, add all
the flour and stir until it forms a cohesive ball that does not stick
to the pot.
Remove it and place in the mixing bowl and cool slightly to warm then
add the eggs in multiple portions. That is , Add it one by one while
beating and ensure that the its properly incorporated before each
subsequent addition.
As I am not familiar with your mixer I can not say about the timing
but I presume that you know what Imean.
The batter should not be too stiff nor too fluid. If you scoop it out
with your hand and drop in on the surface it should form mound with
slight flattening on the bottom.
IF the ratio of the components were appropriate you may have added
the eggs when the paste is too hot or too cold and you did not aerate
it properly during mixing.
Another thing is if the product comes out flat it can come possibly
that there was an improper mixing of the eggs with the roux
components.And you cannot bag that out and still maintain its
slightly heaped appearance.
Another thing also was did you bake it at the right temperature?
Assuming there is a fault in the recipe that it is not users friendly
as others have you tired other recipes as a comparison?
A lot of people can have peculiar success with alternative recipes
but failure in others.
I suggest give your choux paste another try and see if it comes out
the same. Just be careful in its preparation.
If possible try another recipe as well for comparison. There is
plenty of examples of choux recipe in the web to try.
But before you embark on such trials try to understand the recipe so
that you will have more likelihood to succeed.
BTW, bake it in a hot oven not lesser than 200 deg Centrigrade.. And
if possible do not be anxious to open the oven door while the paste is
baking as that can also cause the choux to collapse. Bake it out
thoroughly.
Roy

CHOUX PASTRY
PÂTE À CHOUX
CREAM PUFF DOUGH
Recipe can be doubled

1 cup water
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon sugar plus 1/8 teaspoon salt (for sweet)
or 1 teaspoon salt (for savory)
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Bring water, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high
heat, while stirring to melt butter. Remove from heat. Add flour all at once
and cook over medium heat, beating with a wooden spoon until mixture pulls
away from side of pan and dough forms a ball, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add eggs 1 at a time, beating well with wooden spoon
after each addition.
A standing mixer can be used to add eggs. Use within 2 hours.

"baker1" > wrote in message
...
> Used Julia Child's recipe but got flat bread instead. Choux might
> have been a bit thin (used all 6 eggs)...is this why they didn't puff?
> I've got the pastry cream ready to go, but need to get these puffs
> going.
>
> Thanks for any help.