Choux pastry

Sigma Force

Just watched the great british bake off, and they were making choux pastry.
When I make it it turns out just fine, and I stick a hole in it afterwards to let the steam out. But it said on the programme that after you let the steam out you put them back in the oven.

Do you put them back in the oven with the oven on or off, do you really need to mine always turn out fine without but have never tasted the ultimate perfect profiterole yet so have nothing to compare with only my own and the odd (rather icky) shop bought ones.

Magic Monkey

A few tips for excellent choux:

-Use plain, not strong, flour
-Never boil the liquids
-Cook the liquid/flour paste over medium heat for 2-3 mins or to a temperature of 80c, or until quite warm to the touch
-Add eggs off the heat, but just enough to get a dropping consistency. Rule of thumb is that it takes 6-7 seconds to drop off the spatula
-Always pipe choux paste while still warm
-Spritz with water once piped, don't egg-wash, as there's already enough eggs plus sugar in the paste to provide browning
-Piped items can be frozen at this stage to be baked later. This actually also gives a more consistent and even shape to the goods
-Load trays on bottom shelf, bake at pre-heated 250c, turn oven off for 10 mins, then bake at 160c for 15 mins. If your oven isn't pre-heated, the water in the choux won't vaporise and puff up the goods.

For filling, a mixture of 50:50 whipped cream to pastry cream is delicious. You can also just use all of either, and make various flavours (vanilla, chocolate, coffee, orange, etc.) and flavour the glaze too, for a nice éclair or profiterole.

Sigma Force

Will give that method a go.
I've always used strong flour with good results never had a puff flop lol but must try the plain flour and see how it turns out.