Gougères are a simple and savory way to enjoy choux pastry! Made with my easy pâte à choux base and loaded with shredded gruyere (or your favorite cheese!), theseFrench cheese puffs are a great light & airy bite-sized addition to any meal.Be sure to check out the how-to video!
sea saltfor sprinkling over baked gougères, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400F (200C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat.
½ cup water, ½ cup milk, ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
Once mixture comes to a boil, add flour and turn heat to medium-low. Stir constantly with a spatula until moisture is absorbed by the flour and the mixture clings together and pulls away from the sides of the pot. If you notice any flour lumps, smash them by pressing them against the side of the pan with the spatula.
1 cup all-purpose flour
Remove mixture from heat and stir for several minutes to cool.
Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. The mixture will seem to separate at first, but with consistent mixing it will become smooth and velvety.
4 large eggs
Stir in ground pepper and gruyere cheese.
¼ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, 6 oz grated gruyere cheese¹
Drop batter by rounded dollops about 2” wide and 1” tall onto prepared baking sheet, spacing gougeres at least 2” apart. Transfer to the center rack of 400F (200C) oven and bake for 30 minutes or they are a deep golden brown. If desired, sprinkle a bit of sea salt over the gougeres while they're still warm.
sea salt
Allow to cool several minutes then serve warm and enjoy!
Video
Notes
¹Cheese Feel free to substitute sharp shredded cheddar or your favorite grated cheese instead!
Making in advance:
The dough/batter may be prepared up to three days in advance, store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Gougères are best served fresh/warm, but leftovers may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days then reheated in a warm oven (350F/175C for several minutes should do the trick) before serving.