Gougères with Gruyère

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Wooden spoon or stiff spatula
• •Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or strong arm)
• •Pastry bag with 1/2-inch round tip (optional)
• •Rimmed baking sheets
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare your mise en place

   Preheat your oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Grate the Gruyère on the fine holes of a box grater. The cheese should be almost fluffy, not chunky. Measure the flour into a bowl. Crack the eggs into a small pitcher or bowl. Having everything ready matters here because the choux moves quickly once you start.

   Room temperature eggs are essential. Cold eggs will seize up the warm paste and refuse to incorporate smoothly.
2. 2

   Make the panade

   Combine the water, butter pieces, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the butter melts completely. Then increase heat and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. The butter must be fully melted before the water boils, or the proportions will be wrong.

3. 3

   Add the flour

   Remove the pan from heat the moment the liquid boils. Add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula. Return the pan to medium heat and keep stirring. The dough will come together into a ball and pull away from the sides of the pan. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pot. This takes about two minutes. The paste should look smooth and slightly glossy.

   That film on the pot bottom means you have cooked out enough moisture. Do not skip this step or your gougères will be dense.
4. 4

   Cool slightly and add eggs

   Transfer the paste to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Let it cool for about three minutes, stirring occasionally. The paste should still be warm but not hot enough to scramble the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. After the first egg, the mixture will look slippery and broken. Keep beating. It will come back together. After all four eggs, the paste should be smooth and glossy, falling from a spoon in a thick ribbon that holds its shape for a moment before sinking back.

5. 5

   Fold in the cheese

   Reserve about two tablespoons of grated Gruyère for topping. Fold the rest into the warm choux paste using a spatula. Work gently but thoroughly until the cheese is evenly distributed throughout. The paste will still be warm, and the cheese will begin to melt slightly into it. This is good.

6. 6

   Pipe or scoop the gougères

   Using a pastry bag fitted with a half-inch round tip, or two spoons, portion the dough into mounds about the size of a whole walnut, spacing them two inches apart on your prepared baking sheets. The paste will nearly triple in size. Dip your finger in water and gently smooth any peaks or tails so they do not burn.

7. 7

   Apply egg wash and cheese

   Brush each mound lightly with the egg yolk mixture. Do not let it pool around the base or it will glue the gougères to the parchment and prevent rising. Sprinkle the reserved Gruyère over the tops. A few shreds per puff is enough.

8. 8

   Bake until golden and hollow

   Bake for 10 minutes at 400F, then reduce the temperature to 350F without opening the door. Continue baking for 12 to 15 minutes more until the gougères are deeply golden and feel light when you pick one up. They should sound hollow if you tap the bottom. If you cut one open, the interior should be mostly hollow with thin walls and no wet dough.

   Do not open the oven during the first 20 minutes. The steam needs to stay trapped to create lift. A premature peek means flat puffs.
9. 9

   Cool and serve

   Transfer the gougères to a wire rack. They are best served within an hour of baking, still slightly warm with the cheese fragrant and the exterior crackling. Pass them on a napkin-lined basket or a simple wooden board. Watch them disappear.

Chef Tips

• •Buy Gruyère from a wheel, not pre-shredded. The anti-caking agents in bagged cheese prevent proper melting and mute the flavor. Ask the cheesemonger for a piece aged at least six months.
• •French butter or European-style butter with higher butterfat (82% or more) makes noticeably better choux. The flavor is richer and the texture more tender.
• •If your eggs are cold, warm them in a bowl of tepid water for ten minutes before starting. This one act prevents most choux failures.
• •Gougères freeze beautifully before baking. Pipe onto parchment, freeze solid, then transfer to a bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding five minutes to the time.
• •A glass of Burgundy or Champagne alongside is traditional. The wine and cheese come from the same place and understand each other.

Advance Preparation

• •Choux paste can be made several hours ahead and held at room temperature, covered. Stir well before piping.
• •Piped unbaked gougères freeze on the sheet until solid, then transfer to freezer bags for up to two months. Bake from frozen, adding five minutes.
• •Baked gougères can be crisped in a 350F oven for five minutes if they have softened. They are best fresh, but this recovers them well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 18g)