Churros

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Choux Pastry

1. 1
   In a pot, bring the water to a boil with the butter and salt.

   StovePot
2. 2
   Add the flour all at once and stir over the heat for 1–2 minutes, until the dough comes together into a ball and pulls away from the sides.

   Stove

   💡Cooking on the stove dries the dough: that way it absorbs more eggs, and their steam puffs it up in the oven.
3. 3
   Let cool 5 minutes and add the eggs one at a time, beating hard after each, until the dough is smooth and glossy.

   💡Add the next egg only after the previous one is fully absorbed: dough that gets eggs too fast turns runny and won't hold its shape.
4. 4
   Pipe balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

   Piping bagBaking panParchment paper
5. 5
   Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (390°F) 25 minutes, until the pastries are puffed and golden. Don't open the oven partway through.

   ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan

   💡Opening the oven partway through lets the steam out and the pastries collapse. Open it only when they are golden and firm.

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.

To assemble

1. 6
   Fill a piping bag fitted with a star tip with the dough.

   Piping bagPiping tips
2. 7
   Heat the oil in a pot for deep-frying and pipe strips of dough into it. Fry 3–4 minutes, until golden and crisp.

   ⚙ Deep-fryingStoveSlotted spoonCandy/oil thermometerPot

   💡Keep the oil at 170–180°C (340–355°F): too cold, and the food soaks up oil; too hot, and it browns outside before the inside cooks. Without a thermometer, dip the tip of a wooden spoon in the oil: when medium bubbles form around it right away, the oil is hot enough.

   💡Don't overload the oil: every piece that goes in cools it down. Fry one piece as a test, then the rest in several batches, and transfer to paper towels.
3. 8
   Place on paper towels and roll in a mixture of the sugar and cinnamon.

   Paper towels
4. 9
   Finely chop the chocolate and put it in a bowl.

   KnifeCutting boardBowl
5. 10
   Heat the cream until just about to boil and pour over the chocolate. Wait a minute without touching.

   StoveSmall saucepan
6. 11
   Stir gently from the center outward, until you get a smooth, glossy cream.

   💡Stir gently from the center outward: vigorous stirring beats in air, and the ganache loses its shine.
7. 12
   Serve right away with the chocolate sauce.