What are gougères?
They are warm cheese puffs, about the size of a golf ball, crisp on the outside and almost hollow inside. The word is pronounced goo-zhair. They are number ten in my list of French appetizers Americans should try, and the one that disappears fastest.
They belong to the apéritif, the drink and small bite before dinner. A French apéritif is deliberately light, because dinner is coming, and gougères suit it: they are mostly air.
Are they difficult?
No, and this is the best-kept secret in French baking. Choux pastry has a reputation because it turns into éclairs, but the dough itself is made in a saucepan with a wooden spoon in about ten minutes. There is no rolling, no resting and no folding.
You boil water, milk and butter, tip in flour, stir until it forms a ball, then beat in eggs one at a time. That is the whole technique.
Which cheese should you use?
Gruyère is the classic, and Comté is the French choice when you can get it. Both are firm, nutty and melt without turning greasy. A sharp Cheddar works and tastes more American. Avoid soft or very moist cheeses, which weigh the dough down.
Grate it finely and save a little to sprinkle on top before baking.
How do you make them?
Bring the water, milk, butter and salt to a boil. Take the pan off the heat, add all the flour at once and stir hard until it comes together. Return it to a low heat and keep stirring for a minute or two to dry the dough out: it should leave a thin film on the bottom of the pan.
Let it cool for a few minutes, then beat in the eggs one at a time. The dough will look as if it has split each time, then come back together. It is ready when it is glossy and falls slowly from the spoon. Stir in the cheese, pepper and nutmeg, spoon mounds onto a lined tray, and bake until deeply golden.
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The oven door was opened. Choux rises on steam. Leave the door shut for the first twenty minutes.
They were underbaked. Pale gougères are still wet inside and sink as they cool. Bake them to a deep golden brown.
The dough was too wet. Eggs vary in size. Add the last one a little at a time and stop when the dough holds a soft peak.
The dough was not dried out. That minute of stirring over the heat matters. It drives off water so the dough can take the eggs.
Can you make them ahead?
Yes, and this is how French hosts do it. Spoon the raw mounds onto a tray, freeze them, then keep them in a bag in the freezer. Bake from frozen, adding about five minutes. They come out as good as fresh, twenty-five minutes after the doorbell rings.
Serve them warm with whatever is being poured. For the rest of the table, there is radis beurre, which takes no cooking at all.
Questions, answered
What are gougères?
Gougères are small French cheese puffs made from choux pastry mixed with grated cheese, usually Gruyère or Comté. They come from Burgundy and are served warm, often with wine before dinner.
How do you pronounce gougères?
It is pronounced goo-zhair, with a soft zh sound like the s in measure.
What cheese is best for gougères?
Gruyère or Comté. Both are firm, nutty cheeses that melt well. A sharp Cheddar also works.
Why do gougères deflate?
Usually because the oven door was opened too early or they were taken out before they were deeply golden. Choux pastry rises on steam and needs to dry out fully to hold its shape.
Can you freeze gougères?
Yes. Freeze the shaped raw dough on a tray, store it in a bag, and bake from frozen, adding about five minutes to the baking time.
Still wondering?
Ask my French husband.
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He judges America weekly on Instagram, and Le Bulletin collects the best of it once a month.
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