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Pastries and Cookies, Sweet Pastries

Crispy Choux Crullers from an Old Choux Pastry Recipe

by Lisa

Trained pastry chef

Golden choux crullers rolled in sugar

4.3 (3)out of 5, 3 ratings

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Prep
5 min
Bake
1 hr
Total
1 hr 5 min
Makes
18 crullers

Turning a single batch of choux pastry into three completely different treats: to this day, that's my favorite thing about this old recipe from my pastry chef training. Crullers, little puffs and raisin clusters, all from the same dough, all freshly fried and rolled in sugar while still warm.

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What makes my recipe special: I use a mix of milk and water, not just water like many recipes online. That makes the crumb inside much softer and gives the pastry the buttery flavor I know from the bakery. Choux pastry scares off a lot of home bakers, yet it's made in no time once you know what matters. Only one thing is really important: after adding the flour, cook the dough in the pan for exactly one minute, until a white film forms on the bottom. Only then does the dough hold together properly. Here's my old recipe for golden crullers just like from the bakery:

Ingredients

Makes 18 crullers

Choux pastry

  • ½ cup125 mlmilk
  • ½ cup125 mlwater
  • 1 pinchsalt
  • 1 pinchsugar
  • 7 tbsp100 gunsalted butterGerman butter is unsalted and has about 82 percent fat. In the US use unsalted butter; European-style unsalted butter is closest. In the UK, unsalted butter.
  • 1 ⅔ cups200 gall-purpose flourIn German recipes plain flour means soft wheat flour Type 405 unless stated otherwise. In the US use all-purpose flour; in the UK, plain flour.
  • 5large eggs

You'll also need

  • 1 to 2 quarts1 to 2 lfrying oil or shortening
  • sugar, for rolling

Method

Choux pastry

  1. Heat the milk, water, butter, salt & sugar in a saucepan until the butter has melted, then bring to a boil.

  2. In the meantime, sift the flour thoroughly.

  3. Once the liquid boils, turn the heat down to medium, add the flour all at once and work it in carefully but thoroughly until the dough forms a ball. Then cook the dough for at least one minute (keep stirring and working it).

  4. Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes, then patiently work in the eggs one at a time.

  5. Preheat the deep fryer to 338°F (170°C). Spoon the dough into a sturdy piping bag.

  6. Fry the crullers until golden, then transfer them to paper towels, let them drain and roll them in sugar while they're still warm.

Questions and answers

What exactly are choux crullers?
Choux crullers are ring-shaped pastries made from choux pastry and fried in hot fat. Depending on the region in Germany, they go by several other names too. Crisp on the outside, airy inside, and traditionally coated in sugar or a sugar glaze. The choux pastry base is the same as for cream puffs or eclairs.
Can I make the choux pastry for the crullers ahead of time?
I don't recommend it. Choux pastry is best used fresh and fried right away. If it sits, it loses its structure and the rings won't puff up as nicely when they fry. What you can do: pipe the crullers onto pieces of parchment paper ahead, then put them straight into the fat. The only thing I'd store is finished fried crullers, but they taste best on the first day.
Why do my crullers fall apart when I fry them?
Usually it comes down to one of two things. Either the dough wasn't cooked long enough, so it doesn't hold together well. Or the eggs were stirred in while the dough was still too hot. The eggs then partly set and the dough turns too runny. Important: after adding the flour, stir it in the pan for exactly one minute until a white film forms on the bottom, then let it cool, and only then add the eggs.
Which piping tip should I use for crullers?
A regular open star tip with a fairly large star. It gives you the classic ridged pattern we know from the bakery and helps the pastry puff up nicely. The piping bag matters more than the tip: use a really sturdy one, not the cheap thin ones, which simply burst with choux dough.
What temperature do I fry crullers at?
I fry them at 338°F (170°C). At a higher temperature they get too dark on the outside too quickly while they're still raw inside. At a lower temperature they soak up too much fat. If you don't have a deep fryer, use a pot of frying oil and a thermometer. A thermometer isn't expensive and comes in handy for lots of things.
How many calories are in a cruller?
A cruller from the bakery has about 150 to 220 calories, depending on its size. Homemade ones are similar, depending on the frying fat and whether I add a sugar glaze. To be honest, I don't count them. These are a treat to enjoy, not diet food.