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.

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.

Without seeing the recipe, it is hard to tell what happened but considering
that Julia's recipes are pretty sound, I would say it most likely has to do
with technique. In general, you should be using high gluten flour for choux
pastry. Make sure you continue to beat it over heat once the dough comes
together. This evaporates enough water so you can add the eggs without it
being too runny. Make sure you are using large eggs, not extra large or
jumbo. Bread flour will absorbed more water and produce a stiffer dough.
You might also consider using 4 whole eggs and 4 egg white instead of six
whole eggs. The whites will give you more structure and help trap more
steam.

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.