A single pâte à choux dough is remarkably versatile: with it you can create both savory and sweet pastries. These Gruyère and black pepper gougères are a savory variation of the classic French choux, offering a tender interior, crisp exterior, and a peppery finish. Pâte à choux also makes light cream puffs, profiteroles, and sugar-dusted chouquettes. When you bake a batch of savory gougères, save a few to use in dishes like cheesy baked eggs for a simple, indulgent breakfast.
My first attempt at pâte à choux happened when I was twelve and skipping church with a manufactured ailment. While my parents were away, I made airy cream puffs filled with whipped cream and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar. When they came home, the pastries earned instant forgiveness — one bite was enough for them to forget my absence from church. That early success left a lasting impression: choux looks elegant but is surprisingly straightforward once you know the steps.
Despite the fancy name and the bakery-style look of the finished pastries, pâte à choux is essentially a cooked dough of milk, water, butter, flour, and eggs. The dough may seem lumpy the moment you add an egg, but with a little whisking it becomes smooth and glossy. Once you learn the technique — bringing the liquids to a boil, stirring in the flour to form a cohesive ball, and incorporating eggs one at a time — you’ll find the method reliable and forgiving.
These gougères are built around nutty Gruyère and bold black pepper. They are excellent served on their own as an appetizer, as part of a brunch spread with sweet items like banana oat bread, or alongside baked eggs. They can even be cut and toasted to make unusual croutons for soups such as French onion, and when you need a compact savory bun, gougères make a delightful base for sliders.
Easy Gruyère and Black Pepper Gougères
Don’t worry if the dough looks lumpy right after you add an egg — it will smooth out with a bit of whisking. This recipe yields twelve large gougères; if you form smaller portions you can double the yield and reduce the baking time by about 5–10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 eggs, cracked into a small bowl
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and black pepper; set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, and butter to a rolling boil.
- Remove the pan from heat and add the flour mixture all at once. Return to low heat and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl or keep it in the saucepan. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition until the dough is shiny and smooth. It may look lumpy at first but will become cohesive as you continue.
- Stir in the grated Gruyère until evenly incorporated.
- Using a 1/4-cup scoop or a spoon, portion rounded mounds about 2–3 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 30–35 minutes, until the gougères are well puffed, golden brown, and crisp at the edges.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving warm.
Nutrition (approx.)
Calories: 134 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 8 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g | Cholesterol: 74 mg | Sodium: 141 mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.