How to make Eclairs (Choux Pastry for Eclair Shells)

Top down view of the tops of 3 eclairs sitting on a wire rack.

How to make Eclairs (Choux Pastry for Eclair Shells)

Master eclair pastry with this easy choux pastry guide. Learn how to pipe, bake and troubleshoot crisp, hollow eclair shells every time.

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 35

Total Time: 50

Servings: -16 eclairs

Calories: 119kcal

Equipment

Medium heavy-based saucepan
Wooden spoon / rubber spatula
Piping bag
Perforated baking mat helpful but not essential
baking sheet
Large French piping tip

For best results, weigh ingredients with a kitchen scale.

Ingredients

160 ml water (⅔ cup)
80 ml whole milk (⅓ cup)
115 g unsalted butter (4oz / 1 stick)
2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
130 g bread flour (1 cup, spooned and levelled/~4 ½oz)
200-230 g eggs (7-8oz / 4-5 large eggs, see notes)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Line 2 large baking sheets with perforated baking mats (recommended) or, silpats, baking paper/parchment paper.
MAKE THE PANADE:
Combine the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in saucepan and heat over medium stirring to melt the butter, then allow it to start to bubble.
Once you see the first bubbles, turn the heat off. Sift in the flour and stir in with the spatula until fully combined.
Place the pan over low heat and cook for 2 minutes, moving constantly. Fold it over itself then press it out across the pan and repeat for 2 minutes.
COOL THE PANADE:
If using a stand mixer: Transfer the dough to a stand mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on low for 2 minutes.
If making by hand: Press the dough out flat over the base of the pan and leave it to cool for 5-10 minutes until it’s no longer hot (warm is fine).
ADD EGGS:
Lightly beat 4 eggs together in a jug.
Add a quarter of the eggs to the panade with one of these 3 methods;
- In the stand mixer with paddle attachment and mix on low.
- Beat by hand, directly in the saucepan with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon.
- Use a handheld mixer on low.
Continue by adding another quarter of the eggs, beating until fully incorporated. Repeat with the third quarter of eggs.
With the last quarter of the eggs, add them just a little at a time until you have a dough that is smooth and shiny. It should reluctantly fall from the spoon leaving a “V” shape hanging from it. It should be quite soft, not thick or dry looking.
Once the dough is the right consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large French star piping tip.
For the neatest eclairs, I recommend letting the dough rest for 30 minutes at this point. The dough will thicken slightly as it rests. If you pipe them first, the dough may spread and you'll have wider eclairs rather than thinner.
PIPE THE ECLAIRS:
Pipe 12-14 logs of dough, roughly 12cm/5 in in length, onto your prepared baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. When you get to the end of each one, press the tip down towards the baking sheet, then lift up over the end of the eclair. You will be left with either a little pointed end or maybe a rough end (either is fine).
Wet your finger, then gently tap the ends of the eclairs where required to neaten them up.
Give the eclairs a light spray with spray oil, and a light dusting of icing sugar, then a second light dusting of icing sugar.
Bake for 35 minutes. Check to see if they're crispy or still soft. You may need to bake for a further 5-7 minutes.
Do not open the oven before 25 minutes.
As soon as you remove your eclairs from the oven, poke two holes in the base of each one with a skewer (one hole at either end) then sit them on a wire rack to cool.
Once cool, your eclairs are ready to be filled but are best filled with an hour two of serving.
Please take a moment to rate this recipe. I really appreciate it and it helps me create more recipes.

Notes

How many eggs? With eclairs, the texture is best judged by eye, not by quantity of eggs. Add the eggs until the dough is at the right texture. For me it's between 3 ½ and 4 large eggs but the amount you require will be determined by many variables - egg size, amount of moisture cooked out of panade, protein content of flour and even humidity in the air.
Store baked eclairs in an airtight container in a cool place, like the pantry for 2 days or fridge for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
They are only crispy straight from the oven and will begin to gradually soften. You can re-crisp them before filling by placing them in an oven preheated to 180C/350F for 7-10 minutes.
Don't fill until they're cool.
Fillings will soften the eclair pastry so they're best filled as close to serving as possible.

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