chocolate eclairs

 My first attempt at choux pastry was a success thanks to this recipe from Food & Wine. The kids and I loved them and will definitely be making them again. Elle even said they were Great British Baking Show-worthy!

Ingredients

CHOUX PASTRY

• 1 cup water
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs

PASTRY CREAM

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons cake flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil over moderate heat. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes, until the dough comes together and a film forms on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the dough to a large bowl and beat at medium speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1-inch round tip. Pipe twelve 5-inch-long logs onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325° and bake the shells for 30 minutes longer, or until golden brown. Transfer to a rack and let cool.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, vanilla bean and seeds just to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the sugar with the cake flour and salt. Whisk in the egg and egg yolks. Slowly add the hot milk, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly. Continue to boil the pastry cream, whisking constantly, until thick, about 30 seconds longer. Immediately strain the pastry cream through a fine sieve into a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until cool.
4. In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Whisk the pastry cream, then fold in the whipped cream until blended.
5. In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate in a microwave oven. Whisk in the butter until smooth.
6. With a serrated knife, split the éclair shells lengthwise. Spoon a generous amount of the pastry cream into the bottom half of each shell. Dip the top half of each shell into the chocolate glaze, close the éclairs and serve.

Make Ahead

The components can be made early in the day, but assemble the éclairs shortly before serving.

focaccia

 Another recipe from Salt, Fat, Acid Heat. The overnight rise makes this much chewier and more flavorful than my other focaccia recipe. I couldn't get Diamond Crystal salt, so used 365 kosher sea salt and would definitely halve the amounts next time. 

Ingredients: 

For the dough: 

• 2½ cups (600 grams) lukewarm water
• ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2½ teaspoons (15 grams) honey
• 5 1/3 cups (800 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (18 grams) Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• ¼ cup (50 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan and finishing
• Flaky salt for finishing

For the brine:

• 1½ teaspoons (5 grams) Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
• ⅓ cup (80 grams) lukewarm water

Instructions: 

1. In a medium bowl, stir together water, yeast, and honey to dissolve. In a very large bowl, whisk flour and salt together to combine and then add yeast mixture and olive oil. Stir with a rubber spatula  until just incorporated, then scrape the sides of the bowl clean and cover with plastic wrap. Leave out at room temperature to ferment for 12 to 14 hours until at least doubled in volume.
2. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons oil evenly onto a 18-by-13 inch (46-by-33 cm) rimmed baking sheet. When dough is ready, use a spatula or your hand to release it from the sides of the bowl and fold it onto itself gently, then pour out onto pan. Pour an additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil over dough and gently spread across. Gently stretch the dough to the edge of the sheet by placing your hands underneath and pulling outward.  The dough will shrink a bit, so repeat stretching once or twice over the course of 30 minutes to ensure dough remains stretched.  
3. Dimple the dough by pressing the pads of your first three fingers in at an angle.  Make the brine by stirring together salt and water until salt is dissolved. Pour the brine over the dough to fill dimples.  Proof focaccia for 45 minutes until the dough is light and bubbly. 
4. Thirty minutes into this final proof, adjust rack to center position and preheat oven to 450°F (235°C). If you have a baking stone, place it on rack.  Otherwise, invert another sturdy baking sheet and place on rack.  Allow to preheat with the oven until very hot, before proceeding with baking. 
5. Sprinkle focaccia with flaky salt. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes directly on top of stone or inverted pan until bottom crust is crisp and golden brown when checked with a metal spatula.  To finish browning top crust, place focaccia on upper rack and bake for 5 to 7 minutes more.  
6. Remove from oven and brush or douse with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil over the whole surface (don’t worry if the olive pools in pockets, it will absorb as it sits). Let cool for 5 minutes, then release focaccia from pan with metal spatula and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. 
7. Serve warm or at room temperature.  
8. To store, wrap in parchment and then keep in an airtight bag or container to preserve texture. Gently toast or reheat any leftover focaccia before serving. Alternatively, wrap tightly to freeze, then defrost and reheat before serving.