Props to the French for always finding a way to sneak cheese into pretty much everything from soufflés to cheese puffs.
Okay, to call gougeres cheese...
Okay, to call gougeres cheese puffs really doesn’t do them justice. Gougeres are very special cheese puffs because they’re made with pâte à choux or choux pastty, which is the same dough as cream puffs. In other words, they’re basically savory cream puffs.
It's said that the cheese puffs originated in France's Burgundy region and they're classically made with Swiss-style cheeses found in the region like Gruyère, Comté or Emmentaler cheese. In fact, there is a specific town in Burgundy that takes great pride in saying that these airy cheese delights hail from their town.
The classic style is pretty fantastic. If you want to make them classic, simply omit the pancetta and thyme and swap Gruyere or Comte cheese for the Fontina.
A twist on that classic that we are adore are these sweet, salty, herby gougeres with Pancetta, Fontina, and herbs.
Go stock up on all your cooking essentials then head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
small dice
1 yolk, at room temperature
finely chopped
Prepare The Baking Sheets: Heat oven to 400°F and arrange racks in the upper and lower third. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
If making the pancetta, line a plate with paper towels and set aside. Place pancetta in a medium nonstick frying pan and cook until crisp. Remove pancetta to paper towel-lined plate and set aside to drain.
If you want to make these without pancetta and thyme, up the butter to 8 tablespoons.
Cook The Dough: Meanwhile, make the choux pastry dough. To do so, combine one cup of the milk or water with the butter and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, dump in all the flour, and stir vigorously until flour is incorporated. Cook, stirring constantly, until dough comes together in a ball and feels dry to the touch, about 2 minutes.
Beat In The Eggs: Transfer dough to a food processor fitted with a blade or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Pulse or beat in five of the eggs, one by one, letting each egg completely incorporate before adding the next.
Reserve 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese then add pancetta, remaining cheese, and thyme; pulse or mix on low until thoroughly incorporated.
Arrange On Baking Sheets: Drop tablespoon-size portions of dough on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 1/2 inch apart. Whisk remaining egg yolk with the remaining 1 tablespoon milk and brush tops of cheese puffs then evenly sprinkle reserved Parmesan cheese over top.
Bake The Gougeres: Place in oven and bake, rotating halfway through, until puffed and golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
The gougeres can be made up to 4 days ahead; store, covered, at room temperature.
High Altitude Adjustments (Tested at 8,000 feet): Add 1/4 cup more milk or water to the dough. Shape gougeres as directed but let them chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking. Bake at 425°F for 15 to 20 minutes then let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing. These gougeres will spread a tad more than in the photo but turn out great at high elevation with these adjustments!
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