Sourdough Cream Puffs (Sourdough Pâte à Choux)

Light, tender, and filled with rich vanilla pastry cream, these Sourdough Cream Puffs are finished with a glossy chocolate ganache for the ultimate bakery-style treat.

The subtle tang of sourdough starter gives the pâte à choux an extra depth of flavor and structure, creating a hollow puff that’s ideal for filling — whether you’re making cream puffs, éclairs, or any dreamy pastry shop dessert at home.

Today, we’re perfecting it all: the sourdough pâte à choux, the fast-setting pastry cream, and the silky chocolate ganache topping.

This recipe has been a true labor of love. After countless tests and tweaks, I've finally perfected a process I'm proud to share. My goal wasn't to replace traditional pâte à choux- which I adore- but to create a naturally fermented version using sourdough starter. I wanted to offer pâte à choux that gentler on the gut, easier to digest, and still delivers the light, airy texture that pastry lovers know and love. Now, even those with sensitivities can enjoy this classic treat!

What is traditional Pâte à Choux?

Traditional pâte à choux is a French pastry dessert that forms the foundation for cream puffs, eclairs, profiteroles, and the like.

It is made by cooking water and milk with butter, flour, and salt to create a thick paste. Then, the eggs are beaten to form a glossy, pipeable dough.

The magic of pâte à choux lies in it's baking: It doesn't use leaveners like yeast or baking powder.

Instead, the high water content in the dough creates steam causing the pâte à choux to puff up and form hollow centers- perfect to pipe with your favorite fillings.

Why I Love This Recipe:

This recipe combines the best of both worlds: the classic airy and light texture of classic pâte à choux, and the added depth and digestive benefits of natural fermentation.

Straight forward with all the tips to know how to achieve a perfect puff, this recipe will guide you with ease on how to make the perfect pastry cream and chocolate ganache topping to give your cream puff an eclair style flair.

*As an amazon affiliate, this post may contain affiliate links. Which means I may receive a commission for qualifying purchases. I will only recommend products that I personally love and use.*

Tools You’ll Need:

• Medium saucepans or pots- for cooking pâte à choux  and pastry cream

• Wooden spoon or stiff spatula- for stirring the pâte à choux 

• Stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer- for incorporating eggs into pâte à choux 

• Large mixing bowls- for pâte à choux, pastry cream, and ganache

• Piping bags and Wilton 1A piping tip- for piping and filling the puffs. I linked piping bags here https://amzn.to/3YR2vJb and a Wilton 1A tip here https://a.co/d/2VoVLNn. I also love this tip for piping filling easily into pastries linked here https://amzn.to/4jV0vrC.

These tools are optional and you can use a ziplock and snip off the end for piping choux and filling, but it may not be as uniform and easy.

• Baking sheets- lined with parchment paper

• Toothpick or paring knife- for venting puffs

• Whisks- for pâte à choux, ganache, and pastry cream

Gather your Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter (softened)- Adds flavor and richness to the choux pastry and stabilizes the ganache.

Water and Milk- A mix of water (for lightness) and milk (for richness and browning) ensures the perfect puff texture.

Sourdough Starter (100% hydration)- Adds structure, subtle tang, and enhances the dough’s elasticity without gumminess.

Salt and Sugar- Salt sharpens all the flavors. Sugar adds a touch of sweetness and helps browning.

Vanilla Extract or Paste- Gives aromatic warmth to both the pastry dough and the filling.

Eggs- Essential for building steam and creating hollow puffs; they give structure and shine.

Milk and Heavy Cream- Create a rich, smooth, and luxurious custard base.

Cornstarch- Thickens the pastry cream quickly and firmly without needing too much heat.

Granulated Sugar- Sweetens the pastry cream and helps stabilize the eggs.

Chocolate Chips- Make a convenient, easy-melting ganache topping.

Now let's make cream puffs!

Sourdough Pâte à Choux: 

Ingredients:

• 114g (8 Tbsp or 1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks

• 56g (4 Tbsp) water

• 56g (4 Tbsp) whole milk

• 1 tsp (4g) vanilla extract

• 1 Tablespoon (25g) granulated sugar

• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

• 250g (approx 1 cup) 100% hydration sourdough starter (Note: at peak will yield best results but you can use discard puffs may just be more dense)

• 4- 5 large eggs (200–220g), beaten

• Egg wash: left over egg with 1 Tbsp milk or water (you can use remainder of eggs not added to pastry)

Instructions:

1. Preheat to 400°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Gently mist or brush parchment paper with water to dampen the surface to help choux puff up.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine butter, water, milk, salt, sugar, and vanilla. Heat until butter melts and mixture simmers. Be careful not to boil at this stage, or your mixture may curdle.

3. Add the sourdough starter all at once. Stir vigorously WITH A WHISK over medium/low heat for 4-6 minutes, until a film forms on the bottom of the pan and dough pulls together. Your consistency should look like mashed potatoes.

4. Transfer dough to a bowl or stand mixer. Let cool for 7–10 minutes, until warm but not hot.

5. While dough is cooling, beat your eggs in a bowl lightly. When dough has cooled, add about 50 g (around 1/4th of the eggs) into the dough and beat into dough with stand mixer or hand beaters. It's important to add the eggs gradually to avoid adding too much egg. Continue adding eggs into dough and beating around 30 seconds with each addition. I like to stick with adding 1/4 of the eggs at a time. You will use more or less egg depending on how much your dough has been dried out during the cooking phase.

Your dough has enough egg added when:

• It's glossy and smooth

• Forms a thick ribbon or “V” shape when dropped from a spoon

You may not need every drop of egg, so go slow and pay attention to the above cues.

If you have added too much egg your dough will run quickly off the spoon- if you've added too little egg your dough will be stiff and won't form a "V" as pictured below.

Pipe Your Puffs:

6. Transfer your dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1A tip. Pipe 1 1/2 inch mounds on your prepared baking sheet that you dampened earlier.

   
   

7. Add a little water to your remaining egg from your dough, and whisk. Brush gently over the tops of your puffs with a pastry brush.

Bake Your Puffs:

Bake at 400°F (190°C) convent for 20 minutes. The biggest part of successfully baking pâte à choux is DON'T OPEN THE OVEN.

Reduce to 350°F (163°C) and bake another 10–15 minutes until deep golden brown. Once again, as tempting as it may be- if you open the oven they run the risk of falling. Don't make my mistakes!

Once puffs are done baking, poke a small hole in each puff immediately after baking on each side with a sharp knife or a toothpick.

Return to the turned-off oven, door cracked, for 5–10 minutes to dry interiors.

Remove from oven after drying period and allow to cool completely. Prepare your pastry cream while your puffs cool.

Vanilla Pastry Cream:

This pastry cream comes together fast and is so luxurious as a filling.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups (420g) whole milk

• 1/4 cup (60g) heavy cream

• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar, divided

• 4 large egg yolks (80g)

• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (35g) cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter

• 2 tsp (10g) vanilla extract or vanilla paste

• Pinch of fine sea salt

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, heat milk, heavy cream, and half the sugar (50g) on medium/low until just simmering.

2. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, remaining sugar (50g), and cornstarch until smooth and pale.

3. Slowly whisk hot milk into yolk mixture to temper. Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking, until thick and bubbling (2–4 minutes). Make sure to get all the edges whisked in to avoid any egg curdling.

4. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth.

5. Spread pastry cream into a wide shallow dish. Cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface. Chill until cold and thick.

Glossy Chocolate Ganache:

Ultra easy with bakery-worthy finish, this ganache is rich and will be the ultimate touch on your puffs!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 6 tablespoons (90g) heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter

Instructions:

1. Heat heavy cream and butter together in a medium pot on medium/low heat until just simmering.

   
   

2. Pour over chocolate chips in a bowl. Let sit for 1–2 minutes.

3. Whisk from the center outward until smooth and glossy. Let cool for 5–10 minutes before dipping.

Assemble Your Puffs:

1. Transfer pastry cream to a piping bag or ziplock with small section of corner snipped off. Poke a hole in the bottom of your puff with a toothpick. Pipe pastry cream generously into puff through the hole.

2. Dip the tops of the filled puffs into the chocolate ganache. If desired, allow chocolate to set and dip again after 5 minutes.

   
   

3. Place on a tray to set for 10–15 minutes.

   
   
   
   
   
   

And there you have it! Enjoy Sourdough Cream Puffs (Sourdough Pâte à Choux)!

Yields 12 cream puffs

How to Store:

• After puffs have been baked, you can store them unfilled in an airtight container in the freezer. Remove when ready to fill.

• Puffs are best enjoyed right after being filled, however you can prepare your pastry cream ahead of time and store in the refrigerator with plastic directly covering the surface for up to 1 week.

• Chocolate ganache is best being made and used right away- if you try to reheat this, the chocolate will most likely seize. Make fresh for best results.

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