These cheese puffs, Gougères Bourguignonne, are made with a savory choux pastry where sugar is replaced by gruyere cheese. They are crispy on the top and soft and hollow inside. They can be served plain or stuffed with a creamy filling. These savory choux buns are perfect for a buffet table because they can be baked ahead of time and served at room temperature.
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Choux pastry is the same dough used to make the eclairs, where sugar is substituted by cheese to make this savory version.
Making choux pastry can be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. You will find a step-by-step video on how to make it in the recipe card. Read the notes for best practice.
Once the choux pastry is done, it is mixed with gruyere cheese shredded and piped into small buns sprinkled with some more cheese on top and baked.
These cheese puffs are nice and soft, and you can fill them with a mix of cream cheese and herbs, but I prefer to keep them simple and serve them as they are.
For more french appetizers, you can read Rissole à la Dauphine, Bouchée à la Rein or Parisian gnocchi, which are gnocchi made with choux pastry.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you need to make the choux pastry for the dough.
- Freshwater: you can use only fresh water or half water and half milk. Water will make them crispier
- Butter
- Flour
- Eggs: the number of eggs to add to the choux dough is not based on an exact number of eggs. The eggs are beaten and then added gradually until the dough reaches the right consistency. You may have some egg mixture left over.
- Grated gruyere cheese
- Nutmeg
- Salt
Instructions
Making the choux pastry
A common problem when making choux pastry is that the dough is too runny and will not rise when cooking. Make sure you follow those points, and your choux will come out perfect:
Bring to boil butter and water seasoned with salt and nutmeg
As soon as it boils, add the flour
Keep stirring with a whisk until the dough becomes smooth
Once the dough is smooth, return to heat and stir with a wooden spoon until it dries.
Stir until the dough forms a ball and separates from the pan
Remove from the fire, transfer the dough into a bowl, and let it cool down so the eggs will not cook when added
Beat the three eggs in a separate bowl
Add the eggs gradually, stirring each time until combined
Make sure they are combined before adding more beaten eggs
Always add a small amount each time
Hint: the choux dough has to reach the right consistency based on the weight of the eggs, not the number of eggs. It may not need all the beaten eggs. If you add too much egg mixture, the consistency will be too runny, and the dough will not keep its shape when cooked.
How to check that the choux dough is the right consistency
Create a line with your finger, and the dough will slowly close back on itself
Add the grated gruyere cheese to the dough and mix well
Preparing the piping bag
It is essential to properly prepare the piping bag and hold it with one hand, as you will need the other hand to cut the gnocchi.
Place the dough into a piping bag with a large nozzle to make the gnocchi. If you do not have a large nozzle, use the piping bag without a nozzle.
Place the piping bag inside a bowl to keep it straight, rolling the bag to keep it open
Fill the dough into the pastry bag
Once all the dough is inside, lift the edges of the bag
Lay the bag flat on the table, and with a spatula, push the dough toward the nozzle
Twist the end of the bag
Fold it on itself
You can hold the piping bag with one hand while the other is free
Piping and baking
Cover a large baking tin with parchment paper
Pipe the choux buns leaving 2 in - 5 cm on each side
Hint: leave enough space between the choux as they will rise while cooking
Wet a fork in warm water
With the wet fork, smooth down the peaks of the piped choux
Sprinkle the choux buns with some grated Gruyere cheese
Bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes at 355 F - 180 C
Hint: do not open the oven while they are cooking
Once they are ready, let them cool down in the oven with the door open
Serve at room temperature
Equipment
As this recipe is quite complex, ensure you have all the right equipment before you start.
- A saucepan to make the choux pastry and to boil the gnocchi
- A whisk and wooden spoon to stir the pastry
- Piping bag with a large nozzle (you can also use the piping bag without a nozzle)
Top tips
- Once you add the flour to the butter, keep stirring over the heat until the dough detaches from the pan. It has to be dry and form a ball
- The choux pastry has to have the exact right consistency and since eggs can be of different sizes, it is impossible to measure eggs by the number of eggs.
- Mix the eggs but add them gradually and once the consistency is right, stop adding them
- To make sure the consistency is right when you pipe them, they should remain high and not collapse
- Do not open the oven while they are cooking
Variation
You can serve these Gougères Bourguignonne plain, although as they are hollow inside you can add a filling.
You can either fill them with cream cheese mixed with herbs or with this Ham Spread Terrine With Cognac for a fancy dinner.
If you are making these Cheese Puff Gougères Bourguignonne leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, or sign up to my newsletter.
📋 Cheese Puff Gougères Bourguignonne
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup fresh water
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 3 to 4 fresh eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Making the choux pastry
- Bring to boil butter and water½ cup butter, 1 cup fresh water
- Remove from the fire
- Gradually add sifted flour and the salt1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt
- Once the dough is smooth return to heat until it dries
- Keep stirring until the dough forms a ball and separates from the pan
- Remove from the fire and let it cool down so the eggs will not cook when added
- Beat 3 eggs3 to 4 fresh eggs
- Add the eggs gradually stirring each time until combined
How to check that the choux dough is the right consistency
- Add the eggs until the dough drops off the spoon when shaken. Keep the remaining egg mixture for later.
- Add the grated cheese½ cup grated Gruyere cheese
Preparing the piping bag
- Fill the dough into a piping bag
Piping
- Cover a large baking tin with parchment paper
- Pipe the choux buns leaving 2 in -5 cm on each side
- Wet a fork in warm water and smooth down the peaks of the piped choux
- Sprinkle the choux buns with some grated Gruyere cheese
Baking
- Bake for 20 minutes at 390 F - 200 C. Do not open the oven
- Once they are ready, let them cool down in the oven with the door open
Serve
- They can be served plain or stuffed with a creamy filling
Video
Notes
- once you add the flour to the butter keep stirring over the heat until the dough detaches from the pan. It has to be dry and form a ball
- The choux pastry has to have the exact right consistency and since eggs can be of different sizes that it is not possible to measure egg by the number of eggs. Mix 3 eggs but add them gradually and once the consistency is right, stop adding them
- To make sure the consistency is right when you pipe them, they should remain high and not collapse
- Do not open the oven while they are cooking
- Since the dough requires a lot of stirring I recommend those wooden spoons with easy handles
Nutrition
Origin of this recipe
I took this recipe from Auguste Escoffier's famous book Le Guide Culinaire. Auguste Escoffier is defined as the chef of the royal and the royal of the chefs.
Born in 1845 here in Villeneuve Loubet, he revolutionized French cuisine during his 60 years of career. From the Savoy, Riz, and Carlton in London, Paris, and Monaco, he modernized and simplified French Haut cuisine. His book Le Guide Culinaire is still a reference for chefs worldwide.
Originally the Gougere Bourgignonne is a choux pastry mixed with cheese and shaped like a crown, but to make it easier to serve, I made separate buns.
Patty @pattysaveurs.com
Mmmm I so love these gougères, savory cheese puffs, they're great to serve as appetizers when you entertain or just for the family. Even with all the stirring, they're quite quick to make!
Laura
Very true, and they are worth all the effort. Delicious!
Aleka Shunk
I LOVE making choux dough! It looks more intimidating than it is! I have never tried a cheese dough but it is def on my 'to-cook' list!! I'll have to try this recipe!
Laura
Yes, me too. I found it relaxing. Even more eating them after LOL
Brian Jones
Give me savoury over sweet and single day of the week, these sound amazing... Choux pastry is always a real treat, even from a pastry-phobe like me.
Laura
Ah, ah, ah Brian. Same here, I am a savory especially if there is cheese involved