Pâte à choux recipe

This is a very simple recipe. The trick is to heat the dough as you do the final mixing. I like to keep the flame on and stir like crazy until the dough pulls away from the pot.

3/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup of bread flour (high gluten for lots of puffing)
4 large eggs

You can make a milk and egg wash to brush on when baking. For the éclair recipe I will be giving you I do not because I do not do this.

First line a baking sheet with parchment.

Mix water and milk into a sauce pan add salt and heat. Add butter and bring to a rapid boil. Then, when you have a boil, add the flour in all at once and stir until it pulls away from the bottom. Some people turn the heat off, I do not. I leave it on high. The paste should be heated to about 150F. But don't stop stirring.

Then put into a mixer with a paddle and start mixing it. This will cool it down. In 5 to 10 minutes, you'll get it cooled to about 140F. This is very important. At 140F, you can start adding the eggs. Add them one at a time. Don't add them too fast. Let each egg be absorbed into the paste.

For éclairs, I pipe using a #8 plain tip and to about 6 inches. I like fat éclairs. For cream puffs, pipe in a circle.