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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!
5 from 1 vote
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Equipment

  • Medium saucepans or pots
  • Wooden spoon or stiff spatula
  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer
  • Large mixing bowls
  • Piping bags and Wilton 1A piping tip
  • Baking sheets
  • Toothpick or paring knife
  • Whisks

Ingredients
  

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.

Sourdough Pâte à Choux: 

  • 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)

Vanilla Pastry Cream:

  • 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

Glossy Chocolate Ganache:

  • 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 6 tablespoons (90g) heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter

Instructions
 

Sourdough Pâte à Choux: 

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

Pipe Your Puffs:

  • 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.
  • 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

  • In a saucepan, heat milk, heavy cream, and half the sugar (50g) on medium/low until just simmering.
  • In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, remaining sugar (50g), and cornstarch until smooth and pale.
  • 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.
  • Remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
  • Spread pastry cream into a wide shallow dish. Cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface. Chill until cold and thick.

Glossy Chocolate Ganache:

  • Heat heavy cream and butter together in a medium pot on medium/low heat until just simmering.
  • Pour over chocolate chips in a bowl. Let sit for 1–2 minutes.
  • Whisk from the center outward until smooth and glossy. Let cool for 5–10 minutes before dipping.

Assemble Your Puffs:

  • 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.
  • Dip the tops of the filled puffs into the chocolate ganache. If desired, allow chocolate to set and dip again after 5 minutes.
  • Place on a tray to set for 10–15 minutes.

Notes

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.
 
Course Baked Good, Dessert, Sourdough