Gluten-free Choux au Craquelin
Makes 12
This choux au craquelin, or cream puffs, is the result of my most recent round of testing, and I couldn't wait to share it. I went through a lot of versions. The way wheat starch and gluten gel together when heated is different from the way other starches behave. The gelatinization temperature is different, the viscosity after gelatinization is different, and the water absorption is different.
For substitute starches to work as a pâte à choux, you need them to gelatinize correctly, form a pâte at the right consistency, absorb the right amount of butter and egg, hold steam during baking so the puffs rise, and keep their shape after cooling without collapsing, turning sticky, or going hard. That's a lot of constraints, which is why it took so much testing.
Even the craquelin layer needed its own round, because different starches with different grain sizes absorb water and develop viscosity differently after gelatinization. Anyway, this is a stable recipe now.
Ingredients
Choux
- 3gtapioca starch
- 11gpotato starch
- 40gcorn starch
- 35gbutter
- 108gwater
- 8gsugar
- 1/8 tspsalt
- 2 to 3large eggs, beaten (about 50g each without shell)
Craquelin
- 24grice flour
- 22gpotato starch
- 22gtapioca starch
- 60gbutter
- 60gsugar
- 10gegg
Method
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Craquelin. Soften the butter. Combine all craquelin ingredients into a dough. Roll flat between two sheets of parchment paper, then freeze for 4 hours. Use a cookie cutter to cut 12 rounds, 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.
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Choux base. Beat the eggs and set aside. Combine the butter, water, sugar, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a full boil.
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Sift the three starches together. As soon as the butter mixture is at a rolling boil, pour in the starches and immediately stir and press the mixture into a dough.
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Once the dough has cooled slightly, add the beaten egg gradually, mixing fully between additions, until the dough falls from the spatula in a slow V shape.
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Transfer the batter to a piping bag. Pipe 12 counts and top each with a craquelin round.
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Place a tray of water in the oven to create steam. Bake at 390°F (200°C) for 20 minutes, then 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes.