Bring the eggs to room temperature. In a saucepan, combine the milk, butter, and salt. Heat gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted—do not let it boil.

Add all the flour at once and immediately stir with a wooden spoon. A smooth dough ball will form and should pull away completely from the sides of the pan. Continue stirring the dough over very low heat for 4-5 minutes to dry it out. Then remove from the heat and keep stirring for 2 more minutes. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool slightly so the eggs don’t cook when added.

Using a spatula, add the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Take your time mixing after each egg to get a smooth, even dough.
Add the cheese and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Using two teaspoons or a piping bag, place small mounds of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave enough space between each gougère, as they will puff up while baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. It’s important to bake them long enough so they don’t collapse after coming out of the oven. A gougère is done if it sounds hollow when you tap it lightly with a knife. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the gougères cool on a wire rack.

Gougères are best served slightly warm. I always reheat them in the oven at 320°F (160°C) for a few minutes, covered with aluminum foil. The best way is to put them in a cold oven and then turn it on.
I never brush gougères with egg yolk—they brown too quickly, making it hard to bake them long enough without over-browning.

You can flavor gougères with your choice of cheese, herbs, or even bits of bacon. The basic choux pastry can also be used for sweet cream puffs—just add one or two packets of vanilla sugar to the milk.