THE 189X KITCHEN DESK
Why did my pastry collapse?
Choose the closest pastry, timing and symptom to get a likely cause, a way to confirm it and one focused next-bake adjustment.
FOUR PRACTICAL TOOLS
Use the tool
04 / TROUBLESHOOT
Why did my pastry collapse?
Choose the closest visible evidence. The result is a shortlist to test on the next bake, not a diagnosis from one symptom alone. For the full process, start with choux pastry fundamentals.
MOST LIKELY CHECK
rose, then sank with a damp or gummy centre
The shell set on the outside before its centre dried. Opening the door early can also let the steam structure deflate.
Cut one shell: a wet web, shiny inner wall or soft base points to under-drying. Note whether the oven door opened before the shells were firm.
Bake until deeply coloured and dry, then vent the warm shells so steam can escape. Hold the door closed through the first rise.
6 related checks match these choices; start with the first, then compare the others.