Choux pastry contains no chemical leavener in the classic formula. Its expansion comes largely from steam, while gelatinised starch and egg proteins create a shell capable of holding that expansion.

What to do in practice

  • Cook the panade sufficiently before adding eggs.
  • Add egg according to dough consistency rather than blindly by weight.
  • Bake until the shell has enough structure and dryness.

If it is going wrong, check these first

  • Adding all egg at once
  • Opening the oven before structure develops
  • Removing choux while the interior is still excessively wet