Gougeres

From 101cookbooks by Heidi Swanson.

Ann: I always feel so proud of myself when I make any sort of bread item. I was a bit scared to try this recipe but it really was quite easy.  In Heidi's post about the gougeres (sorry I don't know how to add the accent grave over the first 'e') she recommends mixing the dough with a spoon, use large eggs rather than extra large, prep all ingredients ahead of time, and let gougeres brown all the way up the sides before taking them out of the oven.  You may want to follow the link above to read her account first hand.  Then be sure to eat these delights with a bowl of warm soup.  Mmm!

I've included a bunch of tips and things in the main post. If this is the first time you've made gougères, be sure to give that a quick read-through first, before jumping in.

2/3 cup / 160 ml beer / ale OR water
1/3 cup / 80 ml milk
8 tablespoons butter, thickly sliced
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
scant 1/2 cup / 65 g / 2.25 oz all-purpose flour
scant 1/2 cup / 65 g / 2.25 oz whole wheat flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cup / 3 1/4 oz / 90 g sharp white cheddar, grated on box grater
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed w/ mortar + pestle

Preheat oven to 425F / 220C, with a rack in top third. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bring the beer, milk, butter, and salt just to a boil in a large (thick-bottomed) saucepan over medium-high heat. Dial back the heat a bit. Add the flours and use a wooden spoon to stir, stir, stir. Really go at it. Keep going for a couple minutes, until the dough comes together smoothly, and gives off a faint toasty scent. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring occasionally to let heat out, for about five minutes. Long enough that the eggs won't cook when you attempt to work them in.
One at a time, add each of the four eggs, stirring vigorously after each addition. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese, and right away scoop gougères onto the prepared baking sheet in heaping tablespoon-sized dollops, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches between each. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and fennel seeds. Place in the oven, bake for FIVE minutes, then dial the heat back to 375, and bake another 20- 25 minutes, or until gougères are deeply golden all over, puffed, and well set. If you notice the gougers in the back browning much more quickly than the ones in the front, spin the sheet 180 degrees about 2/3 through.
Alternately, if you aren't baking the gougères immediately: shape pans of gougère dough, sprinkle with cheese, and freeze for 1/2 hour. Transfer to a freezer bag at this point, until you're ready to bake. Bake straight from the freezer, same as above, with a couple extra minutes.
Makes ~ 2 dozen 3-inch gougères.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 30 min