Classic Gruyère Gougères
These puffs rely on steam for their structure. Get the base right, and you have a reliable vessel for any hard, sharp cheese you prefer.
Watch the moisture
The dough must be thick enough to hold its shape on the tray; if it looks runny before you add the last egg, stop adding it.
- heavy-bottomed saucepan
- wooden spoon
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- piping bag
What goes in.
- 1 cupwater
- 8 tbspunsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/2 tspkosher salt
- 1 cupall-purpose flour
- 4 largeeggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cupsGruyère cheese, finely grated
- 1/4 tspfreshly cracked black pepper
Drying the dough
After stirring the flour into the boiling liquid, keep it over medium heat for two minutes. You are looking for a thin film to coat the bottom of the pan and for the ball of dough to stop sticking to the sides.
The method.
Heat the base
Bring the water, butter, and salt to a rolling boil in your saucepan. The butter must be fully melted.
Incorporate flour
Dump the flour in all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth ball forms.
Dry the dough
Cook the dough ball over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to drive off excess moisture.
Add eggs
Transfer to a bowl. Beat in eggs one by one. Do not add the next until the first is fully incorporated. The final texture should be shiny and drop slowly from the spoon.
Fold and pipe
Fold in the cheese and pepper. Pipe mounds the size of a walnut onto your prepared baking sheet.
Bake
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes. Do not open the door. Turn heat down to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 5-10 minutes until deeply golden.
Other turns to take.
Herbed
Add one tablespoon of finely minced fresh thyme or chives to the dough along with the cheese.
Spiced
Add a pinch of cayenne or nutmeg during the flour-incorporation stage.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a fine grater for the cheese so it distributes evenly through the dough without weighing it down.
If the dough looks like it might slide off the sheet, it is too wet; skip the final bit of the fourth egg.
Serve them immediately while warm; if they soften after cooling, put them back in a 350°F oven for five minutes to crisp.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my puffs collapse?
Usually, this happens because the oven door was opened too early, releasing the steam before the structure set, or because the dough wasn't dried enough on the stove.
How real cooks make it.
No one’s shared their version yet. Be the first to put your kitchen on the map.
Cook this your way?
Share your version — your steps, your story. We’ll feature it right here.
Add your recipe