Thanks for mentioning me in this episode *blushes*. It was fun to bake along with you both this week. I never would have tried my hand at choux pastry without the extra bit of encouragement!
While listening this week, I kept thinking that the sun buns should have been your eclipse-themed episode!
In case there are any other listeners tuning in from Canada, here are my (novice baker!) recipe notes:
1. Gritzer’s recipe notes that gluten is important for the choux paste to rise and hold its shape, so initially I was concerned that the higher protein content of typical Canadian AP flour might cause issues. The Gold Medal AP flour (11% protein) used by the recipe developer is not available in my region. Then, after reading that many US-based bakers swear by (higher protein) bread flour for their pâte à choux, I decided to use the Robin Hood AP Flour (13% protein) I had on hand. It worked great.
2. I took the middle road and used half milk (2%) half water for my liquid. Looking at the lovely deep brown of Steph’s profiteroles, I wish I had gone all milk. My choux came out a lighter colour, but as the bottoms were starting to develop a deeper brown, I couldn’t leave them in the oven any longer.
3. As suggested, I used an instant read thermometer to know when to take my panade off the heat. This was my first attempt at pâte à choux, so using the thermometer felt reassuring.
4. I had to look up whether bakers weigh their eggs with shells on or after they are cracked! If, like me, you are not in the know: weigh your eggs without their shells.
5. I don’t have a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, so I incorporated my eggs one at a time by hand. This broke my spatula, but the pâte itself was fine! Next time I will use a sturdy wooden spoon.
6. I prepared two extra eggs, brought to room temperature, in case they needed to be added to the pâte to get the right consistency. Because this recipe lacked detail about what consistency to look for, I followed Erin McDowell’s advice from her “Bake It Up a Notch” series on YouTube with Food 52. Her trick for knowing if the dough is the right consistency is to wait for it to come off the paddle attachment (if you are using a stand mixer) or spatula (if you are mixing by hand) in a “V” shape. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwmcG0jQc3E (skip to 20:20 to see the “V” shape she talks about).
7. I used an egg wash (1 egg + 1 Tbsp. water) to finish the choux before placing them in the oven. I don’t think this contributed significantly to the colour
8. I made my choux medium-sized (a bit smaller than my palm) and froze most of them. They can be “refreshed” by popping them on a tray in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to help the moisture evaporate and they regain their crispness. I now regret not having had the foresight to pipe out a few in éclair shapes!
9. I blew out the side of my only pastry bag trying to pipe these, so half were just spooned onto the parchment. The spooned results were a bit harder to coax into a circle, but puffed up just the same… If anyone has recommendations for reusable pastry bags or decent piping tips, please recommend below!
As an aside, “choux” sounds cute in French—cuter even than “cream puff” to my ear—and when saying it your mouth puckers up like a grandma coo-cooing a baby. In fact, “chou” is a term of endearment (usually for kids, but more and more for adults too) denoting someone that is cute, kind, and adorable. If you grew up with the story that babies come from cabbage patches, the positive associations with cabbages probably make more sense.
Thanks for mentioning me in this episode *blushes*. It was fun to bake along with you both this week. I never would have tried my hand at choux pastry without the extra bit of encouragement!
While listening this week, I kept thinking that the sun buns should have been your eclipse-themed episode!
In case there are any other listeners tuning in from Canada, here are my (novice baker!) recipe notes:
1. Gritzer’s recipe notes that gluten is important for the choux paste to rise and hold its shape, so initially I was concerned that the higher protein content of typical Canadian AP flour might cause issues. The Gold Medal AP flour (11% protein) used by the recipe developer is not available in my region. Then, after reading that many US-based bakers swear by (higher protein) bread flour for their pâte à choux, I decided to use the Robin Hood AP Flour (13% protein) I had on hand. It worked great.
2. I took the middle road and used half milk (2%) half water for my liquid. Looking at the lovely deep brown of Steph’s profiteroles, I wish I had gone all milk. My choux came out a lighter colour, but as the bottoms were starting to develop a deeper brown, I couldn’t leave them in the oven any longer.
3. As suggested, I used an instant read thermometer to know when to take my panade off the heat. This was my first attempt at pâte à choux, so using the thermometer felt reassuring.
4. I had to look up whether bakers weigh their eggs with shells on or after they are cracked! If, like me, you are not in the know: weigh your eggs without their shells.
5. I don’t have a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, so I incorporated my eggs one at a time by hand. This broke my spatula, but the pâte itself was fine! Next time I will use a sturdy wooden spoon.
6. I prepared two extra eggs, brought to room temperature, in case they needed to be added to the pâte to get the right consistency. Because this recipe lacked detail about what consistency to look for, I followed Erin McDowell’s advice from her “Bake It Up a Notch” series on YouTube with Food 52. Her trick for knowing if the dough is the right consistency is to wait for it to come off the paddle attachment (if you are using a stand mixer) or spatula (if you are mixing by hand) in a “V” shape. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwmcG0jQc3E (skip to 20:20 to see the “V” shape she talks about).
7. I used an egg wash (1 egg + 1 Tbsp. water) to finish the choux before placing them in the oven. I don’t think this contributed significantly to the colour
8. I made my choux medium-sized (a bit smaller than my palm) and froze most of them. They can be “refreshed” by popping them on a tray in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes to help the moisture evaporate and they regain their crispness. I now regret not having had the foresight to pipe out a few in éclair shapes!
9. I blew out the side of my only pastry bag trying to pipe these, so half were just spooned onto the parchment. The spooned results were a bit harder to coax into a circle, but puffed up just the same… If anyone has recommendations for reusable pastry bags or decent piping tips, please recommend below!
As an aside, “choux” sounds cute in French—cuter even than “cream puff” to my ear—and when saying it your mouth puckers up like a grandma coo-cooing a baby. In fact, “chou” is a term of endearment (usually for kids, but more and more for adults too) denoting someone that is cute, kind, and adorable. If you grew up with the story that babies come from cabbage patches, the positive associations with cabbages probably make more sense.