Gougères au Gruyère
(goo-ZHAIR oh gree-YAIR)
Chapter 1 — Apéro & Hors d'Œuvres
If you've ever leaned against the pewter bar at Pastis or Balthazar, nursing a glass of crisp Sancerre while waiting for your table, you've likely been saved by a gougère. Served warm and smelling of toasted cheese and cultured butter, these airy, hollow puffs of pâte à choux are the quintessential opening chord of the American French bistro experience. This recipe doesn't patronize you with shortcuts. To achieve the towering, perfectly crisp shells found on Spring Street, you have to respect the technique. Spring for the good European butter and authentic aged Gruyère, and embrace the overnight freeze. By piping the dough and freezing it solid before baking, you equalize the hydration and maximize the oven spring, leaving you with absolute magic the second they hit the table.
Before you start
Prep the piping and freeze station.
Clear ample space in your freezer to accommodate two baking sheets side-by-side or stacked securely before you start boiling the liquid.
Grate the cheese fresh.
Pre-shredded supermarket cheeses are coated in anti-caking agents like cellulose that will completely ruin the delicate emulsion of your dough.
Ingredients
- water1 cup
- unsalted cultured French butter7 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- white pepper1/4 tsp
- cayenne pepper1/8 tsp
- unbleached all-purpose flour1 1/4 cup
- eggs4 to 5 large
- aged Gruyère AOP1 1/4 cup
Method
- 01
Melt the fat and bring the liquid to a rolling boil.
In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the water, cubed butter, kosher salt, white pepper, and cayenne over medium-high heat, ensuring the butter melts completely exactly as the water begins to boil.
- 02
Dump in the flour and dry the panade.
Remove from the heat, dump in the sifted flour all at once, and stir vigorously with a sturdy wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Return to medium-low heat and mash the dough against the sides of the pot for 2 to 3 minutes until it pulls away cleanly and leaves a slightly translucent film on the bottom of the pan.
- 03
Cool the dough slightly to protect the eggs.
Transfer the hot dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed for about a minute to release the steam.
- 04
Build the emulsion one egg at a time.
With the mixer running on medium-low, add the eggs one by one, waiting for each to be completely absorbed before adding the next. Stop after four eggs to test the texture.
- 05
Execute the V-shape egg test.
You are looking for a glossy, smooth dough that reluctantly falls from the paddle in a V-shape. If it's too stiff, whisk the fifth egg and add it splash by splash until the perfect texture is achieved, then gently fold in the finely grated Gruyère.
- 06
Pipe the gougères and flatten the peaks.
Transfer the warm dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip, pipe 1-inch mounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets, and tap down any pointy tips with a wet finger to prevent them from burning in the oven.
- 07
Freeze the dough overnight.
Place the baking sheets directly into the freezer, uncovered. Freezing equalizes hydration and creates the extreme temperature differential required for a dramatic oven spring.
- 08
Hit the frozen dough with high heat.
When ready for your apéro, preheat your oven to 425°F. Top each frozen mound with a tiny pinch of reserved Gruyère, place in the oven, and immediately turn the temperature down to 375°F.
- 09
Bake undisturbed until deeply golden and hollow.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not open the oven door for the first 20 minutes, or the sudden loss of heat will cause the fragile, steam-filled shells to collapse into sad little disks.
- 10
Vent the puffs to save the crispy shell.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately poke a tiny slit into the side of each hot gougère with a paring knife to let the trapped interior steam escape, preventing the moisture from ruining your crust.
Notes
The 100 percent water rule.
While some traditionalists use a mix of milk and water, sticking strictly to water creates a sturdier, crispier shell that flawlessly survives the freezer-to-oven transition.
Keep them in the freezer.
Once frozen solid on the baking sheets, transfer the raw gougères to a heavy-duty ziplock bag and keep them frozen for up to two months, allowing you to bake off exact portions a la minute.