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Gougères I

Cheese puffs made from a dough of water, butter, flour, eggs, and grated cheese, fried or baked.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 8 ingredients
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Why it works: Cheddar cheese and cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 984 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Gougères I

Oven425°F
Time10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. If you plan to fry the gougères, put enough oil in a large, deep saucepan to come to a depth of about 2 inches. Use a broad saucepan to cook more at once; oil usage increases; they cook quickly, so a narrow pan is fine.

  2. Turn the heat to medium-high.

  3. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

  4. Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Make the dough

  1. Combine water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan.

  2. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.

  3. Cook, stirring, until the butter melts, just a minute or two longer.

  4. Add the flour all at once.

  5. Cook, stirring constantly, until the dough holds together in a ball, 5 minutes or less.

  6. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat hard after each addition.

  7. Stop beating when the mixture is glossy.

  8. Stir in the cheeses.

Cook and serve

  1. Drop teaspoonfuls into the hot oil. Cook, turning once if necessary, until lightly brown, just 3 or 4 minutes. Do not crowd; cook in batches.

  2. Drain on paper towels or paper bags.

  3. Serve at once, or keep warm in a low oven for up to 30 minutes.

  4. Drop teaspoonfuls onto the baking sheet. Bake until light brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1090Calories
43 gProtein
57 gFat
97 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Cheddar Cheese1 oz (28g)113
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cheddar cheese + cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together984 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  2. Butter + cheddar cheesetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,436 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

  3. Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together7,962 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

  4. Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together124,287 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  5. Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together106,462 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs
Add structure and lift by setting into the choux dough as they bake or fry.
All-purpose flour
Forms the starch framework that holds the dough together and gives the puffs their body.
Butter
Adds richness and tenderness, and its water content helps create steam for puffing.
Parmesan or other hard cheese
Adds salty, savory flavor and a little browning as the puffs cook.
Emmenthal, gruyère, cantal, or cheddar cheese
Adds melting richness and savory flavor throughout the dough.

The step that matters

Beat the eggs in fully after each addition. The dough must be smooth and glossy before the next egg goes in. Adding eggs too quickly or under-beating leaves the dough too loose or lumpy to hold its shape, so the puffs may flatten or fail to rise properly.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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