Choux pastry - what am I doing wrong?

[SocialButterfly]

I have made 2 attempts today, beat the flour in to the water and butter and it makes a lovely dough, but as soon as I beat in the egg its runny and lumpy

Not sure if the egg is too big so making it too runny or do I use the whole egg, I had it in my head that I only used the egg yolk but the recipie says use the whole egg.

Can anyone offer advice - other than buy one readymade elairs in tesco

You have to make sure that you really work the dough (whilst cooking it)before you add the egg. Really beat the hell out of it- I think it does something to the gluten ??

Don't give up

You have to really beat the bejapers out of it when you add the egg too -- beat until it's really all incorporated and the dough looks glossy. It will be runny and lumpy looking until then. You really have to use a lot of elbow grease for choux pastry.

My recipe uses four eggs, makes a whole pan of eclairs or puffs, and they have to be added one at a time, beaten really well after each addition until the mixture is completely combined and glossy. Did you add the eggs all at once?

any help?

Ah ha thank you, I now feel cross with myself for stopping as it seems if I had carried on it would have been ok. I will have another go tonight and see how I get on.

I've been using Fanny Cradock's recipe for Yorkshire Pudding for over 30 years and it's always turned out beautifully. It's a choux pastry version but the family prefer it:
4 ½ oz milk
2 eggs
2 ½ oz Self Raising flour
1 oz butter
Salt and pepper

Boil milk and butter, take off hob, add flour, beat in two eggs one at a time and beat thoroughly, seasoning to taste..
Cook at 230 degrees for 10 minutes.

I gave it to my daughter last year and the mixture turns out too runny. I tried doing it myself today with exactly the same result as she gets. Has the consistency of SR flour changed, eggs become runnier? Just don't understand why the recipe won't work now. Any suggestions mums?

As its cooked twice, you want the liquid to allow it to cook through. It also uses the liquid turning to steam as the raising agent so get the guns working and mix it well. You could also try using stronger flour (bread flour) which has more gluten which can help

Thanks for the response. Will try stronger flour.