Can you make gougères ahead of time?

Yes! You can make the dough ahead of time, pipe it onto parchment paper, freeze and then transfer the unbaked puffs to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. (We like to use these vacuum seal bags to keep them as fresh as possible.) When you're ready to bake, simply transfer the frozen puffs to parchment paper and bake as instructed. No need to thaw the dough - they may just need an extra minute or two in the oven.

How do you reheat gougères?

These are best served warm. To reheat them, place them in a 350˚F oven for about 5 minutes, until warmed through.

Can you make gougères gluten free?

We haven't personally tried this recipe with gluten free flour, but it should work. We always use this Bob's Red Mill gluten free 1:1 flour for baking!

Why didn't my gougères puff up?

There are a few reasons this could happen: 1. The dough was too wet. The dough should be thick, smooth and shiny before piping. If you don't let enough moisture evaporate in the earlier steps, or add in too much egg, they will not puff up in the oven. Make sure to look at the process photos above to see what the choux dough should look like! 2. Opening the oven door during baking: This will release stem and prevent them from puffing. 3. Size: If the gougères were piped too big or too small, they may not puff properly. 4. Humidity or altitude can both affect choux dough.

Cheddar Gougeres

Name: Cheddar Gougeres
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 1/4 cup water; 1/4 cup whole milk; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/2 tsp salt; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1/2 cup all purpose flour; 3 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided (it's best to shred your own from a block of cheese instead of buying pre-shredded)

Description

These Cheddar Gougères are essentially French cheese puffs made with choux pastry, and they're absolutely delicious! Crisp on the outside, light, puffed and airy on the inside and perfectly cheesy, these are a lovely appetizer to enjoy with wine or cocktails.

Ingredients

Units Scale

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided (it's best to shred your own from a block of cheese instead of buying pre-shredded)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat to 500˚F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a stainless steel saucepan over low heat, combine butter, water, milk, salt and pepper.
Once butter is melted, bring the mixture to a boil. Add in all of the flour, whisking or stirring vigorously and remove from heat right away. Continue mixing until thoroughly combined – there should be no streaks of flour.
Return to medium heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until a thin film covers the bottom of the pan and the dough pulls away from the sides easily (see photos in post for reference).
Transfer the dough to a separate mixing bowl and stir, spreading the dough up the sides of the bowl (to help steam evaporate). Keep stirring and spreading for a few minutes to cool the dough – it needs to be below 140˚F to prevent the eggs from cooking.
In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Pour ~3/4 of the egg mixture into the dough and beat with an electric mixer on low speed at first, then increase to medium speed. The mixture will separate at first but will come back together into a sticky dough. Keep adding additional egg until the dough is glossy but still firm enough to hold its shape if you run a finger through it. You may end up with leftover egg, or you may need a little more egg. To test if the dough is ready, get some dough on a spatula and lift it straight up. The dough should form a "v" (see photos above for reference).
Stir in 2.5 oz of the cheddar cheese. Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a 1/2-inch round tip.
Pipe about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough onto silpat or parchment paper, keeping the tip in the same place and keeping the bag vertical. Wet the tip of your fingers and gently flatten the tops of each puff (otherwise they will burn).
Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top. Place in the 500˚F oven, then immediately turn the oven off. Set a timer for 15 minutes and do NOT open the door of the oven. After 15 minutes, turn oven back on to 350˚F and bake for another 10 minutes. Optional: after 5 minutes, stab each one with a fork - this will make them crispier on the inside.

Notes

Don't open the oven while they are baking: This is crucial during the first 15 minutes of baking. They need steam to rise, so if you crack open the oven even just for a second, they could collapse.

Storage: Once baked, let them cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. After 24 hours, it's best to freeze them (as they tend to get soggy in the refrigerator). You can freeze them and then reheat at 350˚F for about 10 minutes, until warmed through and crisp again.

Make ahead: You can make the dough, pipe it, then freeze and transfer to a freezer safe container for up to 2-3 months. You can bake them straight from the freezer – it just may take an extra minute or two.

Choux readiness: Your choux will be ready once you can successfully perform the finger test or the V test with your spatula. The dough should be glossy, but pretty thick. The key here is to add the eggs a little bit at a time once you think it's almost ready. You made need more than or less than the 2 eggs listed in this recipe, depending on how much water you evaporated from the panade.

See blog post for troubleshooting, FAQs and step-by-step photos of what the dough should look like at every stage.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It may vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

H/t to reddit user texnessa for this specific cooking process.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Appetizer
Method: Oven
Cuisine: French

Nutrition

Serving Size: 3 gougeres
Calories: 70
Sugar: 0.3 g
Sodium: 90.1 mg
Fat: 4.9 g
Carbohydrates: 3.6 g
Fiber: 0.1 g
Protein: 2.7 g