Pâte à bombe

Pâte à bombe is a base used in pastry making for creating mousses, semifreddos, and other preparations requiring an aerated and stable mixture. It is essentially made of egg yolks and sugar syrup cooked to a certain temperature. Let’s see how to prepare it together.

Ingredients

• 160 g of egg yolks (about 8 medium yolks)
• 200 g of sugar
• 60 ml of water

Preparation

1. Begin by preparing a sugar syrup: pour the water and sugar into a small pot and place on the heat to cook. Bring the syrup to 121 °C, using a sugar thermometer to accurately check the temperature.

2. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in a bowl and, with the help of an electric mixer or a stand mixer, start to whisk them slightly.

3. When the syrup has reached the temperature, reduce the speed of your electric whisk or stand mixer and start to slowly pour it over the yolks, trying not to hit the whisk to prevent splashing.

4. Continue to whip everything until the pâte à bombe becomes frothy, light, and has cooled down. This process should take about 5-10 minutes.

5. At this point, the pâte à bombe is ready to be used for your preparations. You can use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator for a short period before use.

Curiosity

The term “bombe” in pastry refers to semi-spherical sweets that were very popular in France from the end of the 1800s, and this aerated base was often used for their preparation. Pâte à bombe is also an example of the French influence on global pastry-making, highlighting technique and precision in the creation of sweets.