Party Ready: Make-Ahead Gougère

Make Ahead Gougère

I apologize for the lengthy headnote here, but it's useful to your success in making these, so please read it carefully, and ideally the baking instructions twice.   

The below recipe calls for 3-5 eggs, because sometimes I've need a full five eggs to get enough moisture in the dough, sometimes I've gotten away with using only three. It all depends on the size of your eggs (even "large" vary from egg to egg), the humidity of the day, and your kitchen temperature. 

But don't let that scare you off. It may take you one or two at-bats to get the hang of it, but the practice is well worth it. 

To start, I crack three eggs in three separate bowls to start, it may seem like extra dishes, but for me it's easier to keep track and add to the dough, than beating them all in a large measuring cup and eyeballing it. I also keep three whole eggs, left in their shell, on hand should I need them. I usually do, but not always. 

Work your eggs into the dough one at a time. You can do this by hand, but it will require an arm-numbing amount of strength, and it does take some time. You can use a stand mixer, and there is no shame in that game. Or you can use a food processor fitted with an "S" blade (ironically, not a dough blade.) I've used all three, and I prefer the food processor. (See Photo 2, above.) 

After the third egg is absorbed, check your dough. Scoop some dough with a wooden spoon. You're looking for dough that is bouncy, pliable, and slightly sticky. When you turn the spoon on its side, it should slowly stretch off the spoon, plopping back into the bowl (see Photo 3, above.) If it sticks in a clump and doesn't fall, you need more eggs; return to adding and testing one at a time. If the dough runs off too quicky, unfortunately, there's no saving it, and you need to start again. This is why I say add one egg at a time. 

Makes: ~45, 2 inch diametre puffs
Chef level: moderate +

Ingredients:

• ½ cup water
• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup/1 stick/115g butter
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1 cup/155g all-purpose flour, sifted for lumps through a fine mesh sieve
• 3-5 large eggs (plus one beaten for egg wash)
• 1 Tbsp Dijon, optional but recommended
• 1 cup/45g finely grated Gruyère cheese (alternatively: Comté, Parmesan, Pecorino, or Manchego)

How You Make It: 

1. Rinse a medium sauce pot with water, dumping out the water but leaving the pot wet (a thing film of water prevents the milk from scorching and makes for much easier clean up.)
2. Over med-low heat, pour in the water, milk, and the butter, allowing it to gently heat until the butter is melted, tiny bubbles appear at the edges of the milk and the milk is steaming. Do not boil. 
3. Remove the pot from the heat, and all at once, dump the flour into the milk mixture. This will feel wrong and you will be tempted to do it little by little, but resist this temptation. Dump it all in there and stir like crazy. You will see it comes together quickly and pulls away from the sides of the pot into a shiny ball. There will also be a little film on the bottom of the pot and that is a sign of success. (See Photo 1)
4. Allow the dough to cool a minute or two. 
5. Using a food processor, stand mixer, or in the pot off the heat, we now begin adding the eggs one at a time, making sure the egg is well incoporated into the dough, before addig the next, and stopping when we have a pliable, ploppable, sticky and shiny dough. (See Photo 2, in a food processor)
6. Add most of the grated cheese (leaving some to top the gougère) and the Dijon and stir well to incorporate both into the dough. (You can stop here and refrigetate the dough in a ball, in a sealed container for up to three days.)
7. Set your oven to 425°C and place a rack in the middle of the oven. 
8. Fit a piping bag with a ½ inch round tip and scoop the dough into the bag (or, if you're feeling lazy, just spoon out round balls with a spoon. I've done both.) 
9. Pipe the dough into mounds about the size of a quarter, leaving about 2 inches of room between each, on a parchment paper or silicone lined baking sheet. (You may need to do this in batches.) 
10. When done, with a wet finger, or the back of a spoon that's been dipped in water so the dough doesn't stick, smooth out any pointy tops. 
11. Mix an egg with a bit of water, and lightly coat the dough balls with the egg wash. (At this step, you can freeze the uncooked gougére: stick the whole tray in the freezer and when the puffs are solid, place in a sealed container for up to three months.)
12. Sprinkle with the leftover cheese and place in the hot oven. 
13. After 15 minutes, drop the heat to 350°F, and bake for a remaining 8 minutes. (Keep an eye so they don't burn.)
14. Once done, turn off the heat, open the oven door a few inches (if your door doesn't have a spring that will allow this, place a wooden spoon between the door and the oven, and allow the gougère to stay in the oven another 15 minutes or so to evaporate any remaining moisture but not over cook. 
15. Serve warm (or place in an air-tight container and freeze or refrigerate until needed, up to three months and three days, respectively.)

Notes for Baking from Frozen and Refrigerated:

• For raw dough that's been shaped: Place the the fozen, raw gougére on a parchment lined baking tray and cook at 450°F for 10 minutes, lowering the heat to 350°F for another 15 minutes. Allow to rest in an off oven with the door ajar for about 15 minutes.
• For fully baked gougère that have been frozen: Bake in a 350°F oven for 5-8 minutes.
• For fully baked gougère that has been stored in the fridge: Bake in a 350°F oven for 3-5 minutes.

Wine Pairing

Nothing beat a glass of cold Champagne with cheesy gougère!