Homemade Gougères

By Adapted from a recipe by Chef Elizabeth Falkner

Warm gougères fresh from the oven are a guaranteed “wow” moment for any gathering. This style of dough is called pâte à choux, and it’s really quite easy to make. It’s starts by creating a paste of milk, butter, salt, sugar and flour in a pan on the stove, then mixing in eggs, cheese and seasoning. Keep it simple with freshly ground black pepper or spice it up with a pinch of cayenne or curry powder. The dough can be made ahead of time. Form into balls and freeze until ready to bake and serve.
Yield
12-16 large gougères
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total Time

Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk or water
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 4 ounces (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) grated Le Gruyère® AOP Cheese, plus additional for topping
  • Fresh ground pepper

Method

  1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Place milk, butter, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat and add flour all at once. Whisk until mixture comes together in a mass (it will be sticky). Add any dough clinging to whisk to mass. Over medium heat, stir the dough, breaking it up and bringing it back together for a couple minutes.
  3. Transfer dough to a bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment. Add eggs one at a time, combining until smooth after each addition and scraping down sides of the bowl. Mix in Le Gruyère® cheese and a few cranks of black pepper.
  4. Scoop dough into a piping bag. Pipe into 2-inch balls, placing them 2 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets. Dip your fingers or thumb in water and tap tops of dough balls with a wet finger. You may also use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to form balls. Grate additional Le Gruyère® over gougère tops.
  5. Bake 15-20 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350°F; rotate baking sheets and bake additional 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven. Transfer grougères to cooling racks.