-1 cup water
-1/2 cup unsalted butter
-pinch of salt
-pinch of sugar
-1 cup all-purpose flour (or for gluten-free option, white rice flour)
-4-5 eggs
-1/4 cup gruyère cheese, grated
-1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
For the eggwash
-1 egg
-1 tablespoon heavy cream
-fleur de sel
-1 teaspoon paprika
Preheat the oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper.
Combine water, butter, salt and sugar in a small saucepan. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. As soon as the water is boiling and the butter is completely melted, remove from the heat and stir in the flour. Put back over medium heat and stir until the mixture starts to get dried out and becomes a solid mass, moving around the pan in one heap of dough. This should take about two minutes.
At this point, put the batter into a clean, medium bowl and add the eggs one at a time. After the addition of each egg, the batter will seem to be breaking apart, but don’t worry, keep beating. The dough will come back together and that’s when it’s time to add the next egg. After the addition of the fourth egg, check the consistency of the dough. Run your spoon through and lift. If the dough makes a ribbon that connects the dough and spoon, it’s done. If not, add that fifth egg and stir until combined. Finally, add the cheeses and stir the batter until it’s well-incorporated.
Put the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (a ziplock without a tip works fine, too). Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheets into 2-inch rounds.
To make the eggwash, combine the egg and cream and beat well. Brush a little over each gougère, and sprinkle with a little fleur de sel and a dusting of paprika. Bake for about 40 minutes, turning halfway through, until puffed and golden. Enjoy!