Perfect Eclairs
Perfect Eclairs
This is the perfect eclairs recipe for crack free choux pastry.
I’ve done a lot of recipe testing and shared all my tips and tricks for making choux pastry for eclairs below. These eclair shells are super light and airy, the perfect eclair shape, and most importantly – no cracks! It really is the perfect eclair recipe.
The perforated eclair mats are a game changer, allowing for even air flow, and giving you precise guidelines for piping, I’d highly recommend them!
Follow my video and step-by-step recipes to make these choux pastry eclairs. Then for show stopping classic chocolate eclairs, follow my recipe for a chocolate crème pâtissière (pastry cream) filling, and a chocolate glaze topping. Or simply fill them with whipped cream and dig in!
Ingredients
Method
Ensure you start by weighing all your ingredients in separate bowls, and preparing your equipment. This will make the entire process much smoother.
Into a medium saucepan, add the milk, water, sugar, salt and butter.
Place this on a low heat, stirring occasionally until the butter has completely melted.
Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a boil.
As soon as it begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat, and sieve in your flour. It’s important to sieve it to ensure there are no lumps.
Use a hand whisk to pull it together into a dough (you might need to tap the whisk firmly on the pan to get any dough that is caught inside the whisk).
Place the pan back on a low heat, and stir it continuously with a rubber spatula for 2 minutes.
Immediately scoop the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment.
Mix on a low speed for about a minute, or until it reaches 50-55C (122-131F) when a digital thermometer is inserted into the dough.
Next, increase the speed just slightly, and slowly start adding the eggs. It is really important to incorporate them slowly so that the dough can absorb the liquid. Mix for about 20 seconds before adding the next addition of egg. Once you have added about half of the egg mixture, scrape the bowl down just to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
Keep adding the eggs, just a little at a time, until the mixture is glossy, smooth and falls off the paddle in a nice ribbon. The amount of egg you need to reach this consistency will depend on the flour you have used, so you may not need all the egg mixture. As you get closer to the consistency you are looking for, add the egg in very very small increments. It may take some practice, but eventually, you will learn the visual consistency you are looking for. Check the video for the consistency I am referring to.
Cover the surface of the choux dough directly with clingfilm and cool it at room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 165C/330F Non-Fan Assisted
After an hour, line a baking tray with a perforated eclair mat. The perforated baking sheet will ensure even air flow and allow any steam to escape.
Add the choux into a piping bag fitted with a large star-tip nozzle, such as a JEM 3ES.
Applying even pressure, pipe lines of choux dough along the mat. Once you reach the end of the line, stop applying pressure and gently flick the bag back to create a small tail.
Using the cooking oil spray, apply an even layer across the choux dough, then dust a light coating of icing sugar over the top.
Immediately place them into the preheated oven, on the middle shelf, and bake for around 40-45 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown colour. Do not open the oven door while they bake or they will collapse.
Remove from the oven to cool, before filling.
Ingredients
Directions
Ensure you start by weighing all your ingredients in separate bowls, and preparing your equipment. This will make the entire process much smoother.
Into a medium saucepan, add the milk, water, sugar, salt and butter.
Place this on a low heat, stirring occasionally until the butter has completely melted.
Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a boil.
As soon as it begins to boil, remove the pan from the heat, and sieve in your flour. It’s important to sieve it to ensure there are no lumps.
Use a hand whisk to pull it together into a dough (you might need to tap the whisk firmly on the pan to get any dough that is caught inside the whisk).
Place the pan back on a low heat, and stir it continuously with a rubber spatula for 2 minutes.
Immediately scoop the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment.
Mix on a low speed for about a minute, or until it reaches 50-55C (122-131F) when a digital thermometer is inserted into the dough.
Next, increase the speed just slightly, and slowly start adding the eggs. It is really important to incorporate them slowly so that the dough can absorb the liquid. Mix for about 20 seconds before adding the next addition of egg. Once you have added about half of the egg mixture, scrape the bowl down just to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
Keep adding the eggs, just a little at a time, until the mixture is glossy, smooth and falls off the paddle in a nice ribbon. The amount of egg you need to reach this consistency will depend on the flour you have used, so you may not need all the egg mixture. As you get closer to the consistency you are looking for, add the egg in very very small increments. It may take some practice, but eventually, you will learn the visual consistency you are looking for. Check the video for the consistency I am referring to.
Cover the surface of the choux dough directly with clingfilm and cool it at room temperature for 1 hour. Meanwhile, pre-heat your oven to 165C/330F Non-Fan Assisted
After an hour, line a baking tray with a perforated eclair mat. The perforated baking sheet will ensure even air flow and allow any steam to escape.
Add the choux into a piping bag fitted with a large star-tip nozzle, such as a JEM 3ES.
Applying even pressure, pipe lines of choux dough along the mat. Once you reach the end of the line, stop applying pressure and gently flick the bag back to create a small tail.
Using the cooking oil spray, apply an even layer across the choux dough, then dust a light coating of icing sugar over the top.
Immediately place them into the preheated oven, on the middle shelf, and bake for around 40-45 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown colour. Do not open the oven door while they bake or they will collapse.
Remove from the oven to cool, before filling.
Thank you for the tricks
I would like to know what temperature I have to use if my oven it s fan assisted and for how long ?! End what level, 2 or 3. I know how much important is so that s way I asked you! Thank you in advance!
I’m afraid I didn’t test it with the fan assisted. I would try 150C but I’m not sure how the fan affects it.
Can i skip the cooking oil spray? Ive got none
Hey! You can skip cooking oil but it’ll likely mean your eclairs will crack. If you don’t mind this then go ahead without it 🙂
Folosesc aceiași reteta si folosesc un cuptor de patiserie cu ventilație continua. Temperatura de lucru pentru eclere este de 170°C. (Oscileaza intre 170°C-160°C)Omi ies oerfecte de fiecare data.😘👌👍
You ameizing👌👌👌❤
This looks amazing! Do you have a recipe for the chocolate you dipped the eclairs in? Thank you!
Yes there is a chocolate eclair recipe on the recipe section just type it into the search bar 🙂
You’re the only one who made me clear why the dough wasn’t firm enough.I followed every steps by the book, and still some thing wasn’t t good enough. Until you, nobody says or mentioned that I have to leave an hour covered the butter. I hope that in future recipes you will not miss all the steps because as you know every single step, especially in bakery it’s really important for the result to be a real success. Anyway I want to say thank you from the bottom of my soul.
so glad!!
This recipe was spot on!
I used for a catering event and l didnt leave for an hour and it still worked.
Thanks Matt 👍😊
Great!
Why did u leave it covered for a. Hour ?
Helps the flour to fully hydrate
thanyou so much chefff!!
Thank you Matt, wish me luck!
Enjoy all your teaching and sharing. Thank you
Thank you for sharing the recipe. What is the oven temperature ??
165c! Non Fan Assisted
It is not fair that you are too good looking and very talented! Haha! Good work as always!
Thank you
330 165
why you use strong bread flour rather than all purpose flour is it make any difference
Hey! Strong bread flour has a higher protein content which gives the eclair more strength so it doesn’t collapse 🙂
I work in a commercial kitchen and do not have the option for a non-fan assisted oven. I only have a convection oven, with gentle, low, and high speed fan options. This is always my biggest struggle with choux pastry; even on the gentle fan setting the pastry expands too far and cracks. Is there anything I can do without having a still oven, or is my choux just doomed?
I’m afraid I haven’t tried but maybe lower the temp to 150C with the fan and try that?
Great recipe Matt! I follow all the videos and happy to be able to see the recipes too. I followed everything closely and I’m very happy with the result except at the very end after I took them out of the oven they kinda collapsed. Maybe I should have let them cool inside the oven? Or maybe the flour wasn’t hard enough (I used baking flour). Anyway I will keep trying, thanks for all the resources!
Hey! I’m afraid the protein content of baking flour is too low, so you really need to use bread flour to make this recipe work. It makes the choux stronger and prevents it from collapsing. Hopefully you can get your hand on some of this and try them again!
I will! Thanks Matt, you’re doing an awesome job, thank you for all the work you put into this!
Will they work in a fan oven please? Just I just lower by 10 degrees? Many thanks
Hey! I haven’t tried this but I’d try lowering it by 15 degrees celsius 🙂
Thank you 🙏💚
Hey Matt! Looking to give this recipe a go. How many éclairs roughly does the recipe produce?
Hey! Roughly 12 eclairs 🙂
Thank you 😊
*thankyou
Can you please confirm how many this recipe makes?
Hey! This makes 12 eclairs 🙂
It’s not easy to come by cooking spray where i am, is there an alternative 🤔
Hey! I’m afraid I’ve not tried this with anything else so I wouldn’t want to recommend an alternative. You could play around with a few things and see if they work? Let me know!
I know I’ve got a cooking oil spray that is made from canola oil. Perhaps try putting some of that in a spray bottle?
I bake them in the envelope machine. At how many degrees and minutes should I bake them? Thank you
Hey! Sorry I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean by envelope machine. Can you clarify? Cheers!
Thank you matt for all what you are doing you’re inspiring for so many pepole 💗 … i want to ask the aclair baked in the bottom or top and bottom together ? Thank you
Bottom and top 🙂
Hey hey Matt, your talking reminds me of your Dad🤩. Thanks for sharing and have a blessed and happy 2024
Ah thank you!
Hello and thanks for the great recipe, got any tips for storage?
Cheers
I freeze them after baking and then just pop them back into the oven for a few minutes to crisp them back up when I want to use them!
I would like to know what temperature I have to use if my oven it s fan assisted and for how long ?! End what level, 2 or 3. I know how much important is so that s way I asked you! Thank you in advance!
I’m afraid I didn’t test this with fan assisted, but I would try 150C.
Great recipe! I’ve struggled with choux in the past, but these turned out wonderfully! We had fun stuffing and topping them with all manner of things 🙂
So glad!
Hello, can I make profiteroles with the same dough? How long should the cooking time be and how should the chocolate sauce and filling be, thank you
yes you can! cooking time might be closer to 30-40m!
Does the recipe change when you use all purpose flour?
I don’t have access to bread flour.
Yes they won’t work as well as the AP flour doesn’t have enough protein
Great thx. I did with fan at 180 for 15 mins and at 160 for 20 mins and it works .
Great!