Ingredients

The following ingredients have 24 Servings
  • 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1/2 cup (plus 3 tablespoons, water)
  • 1/2 cup beer (I used a saison and pilsner)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 5 ounces all-purpose flour
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 cup finely shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • Pinch salt

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven for 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water, beer and salt and bring to a slight boil. Once the mixture reaches the boil, immediately turn the heat off and pour in the flour; vigorously stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Continue mixing until the dough dries out and pulls away from the pan, about 2 minutes.
  • Transfer the dough into a bowl, allowing it to cool, slightly, for 2 minutes. In a small bowl, crack in one egg, being sure to remove any shells that might have fallen in. Pour the egg into the dough and mix---at first, the dough may seem too wet for the egg to incorporate, just keep going---it'll eventually come together. Repeat with the remaining 4 eggs. The dough should appear shiny, smooth and should fall back on itself, creating ribbons when you lift the wooden spoon. Lastly, stir in the finely grated cheese.
  • You have two options here: In the past, I've always transferred the dough to a piping bag fitted with 1/2-inch tip and piped out tablespoon-size mounds onto the baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart. On this particular day I wanted to go an easier route and used a 2-inch ice cream scooper, spacing the mounds of dough about 1-inch apart. (Some of the mounds were less than perfect so I used my finger to make the tops to look a bit more perfect.)
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the egg wash ingredients: large egg, milk and salt. Lightly brush the tops of each gougeres with the egg wash and then sprinkle each one with a dash of freshly ground pepper.
  • Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Decrease the oven's heat to 350 degrees F and open the oven so it sits ajar; bake for an additional 10 minutes. (This step will help dry out the gougeres a bit.) Another note: if your gougers are bigger in size than mine, you may need to bake them for more time. Serve warm.