Pate choux (pronounced “Patty Shoe”) is one of those recipes that is easy, but can get a little finicky on certain steps. The main problem people seem to run into most often is the dreaded puff deflation. But fear not, there are some easy tricks you can use to keep your cream puffs, eclairs, profiteroles and other pastries light and fluffy the way they are intended.
Troubleshooting Cream Puffs and other Pastries
You may have…
- Pierced the puffs as soon as they are out of the oven. There’s still steam inside, and when you let it all escape before the pastry has cooled your dough might deflate.
- Boiled the water, butter, and sugar for too long. If there is too little water in your choux, there won’t be enough steam to help the puffs inflate.
- Opened the oven during the baking process, or set the temperature too low. Again, steam is crucial to the rising process and letting it out or losing heat in the baking process can have a negative effect on the puff of your final pastry.
- Removing the pastry from the oven too soon. If the choux pastry is not firm when you remove it from the oven, it will cave in on itself. You want your puffs to look golden brown before you even open your oven.