Barley Free Classic Cheese Gougères
These airy French cheese puffs are the kind of appetizer that disappears from the platter before you even get a chance to set it down. Built on a classic choux base of water, milk, butter, and all-purpose flour, they puff up dramatically in the oven into hollow, golden shells with a tender, cheesy interior. Gruyère is folded right into the dough and sprinkled on top, so every bite delivers that nutty, melty richness you want from a proper gougère. For anyone navigating grain sensitivities around barley specifically, this recipe is naturally free of it — the only grain here is all-purpose wheat flour, with no barley-derived ingredients hiding in the mix. A touch of Dijon mustard is optional but adds a subtle sharpness that makes the cheese flavor pop even more. The technique is straightforward once you get the hang of the dough: cook it, beat in the eggs one at a time until glossy, and pipe into rounds. Serve them warm from the oven and watch them vanish.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup gruyère cheese, finely grated, divided
- 1 tsp dijon mustard (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 2
Combine the water, milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is fully melted and the mixture comes to a full boil.
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