Why it works: Butter and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Puffs
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderately quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
Combine water and butter in a saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Add flour all at once and stir rapidly until smooth and pulls away from the pan.
Let the mixture cool.
Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition for 5 minutes.
Bake and serve
Drop by tablespoons onto a baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 20 minutes until light and golden.
Watch closely to prevent burning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
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.
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Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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
- Butter
- Adds fat and richness, and helps give the dough a tender texture.
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the structure that holds the dough together and sets as it bakes.
- Eggs
- Add structure and moisture, and help the dough puff and set as it bakes.
- Water
- Turns into steam in the oven, helping the dough puff up.
The step that matters
Beating in the eggs. Eggs must be added gradually and mixed in fully, so the dough stays smooth and cohesive. Adding them too fast can break the emulsion and leave a loose dough that will not puff 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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