What type of pastry is used for making éclairs?

Éclairs are traditionally made using choux pastry, which is a light pastry dough that is uniquely structured to allow it to expand and create a hollow center when baked. This characteristic makes choux pastry suitable for filling with creams, custards, or whipped toppings, which is precisely how éclairs are typically prepared.

The preparation of choux pastry involves cooking flour, water, and butter together until a dough forms, followed by the incorporation of eggs. The resulting mixture is piped into desired shapes, such as the long, cylindrical form of an éclair, and then baked until it puffs up and turns golden brown.

Other types of pastry mentioned, such as puff pastry, shortcrust pastry, and filo pastry, serve different culinary purposes and do not provide the same texture or structure as choux pastry. Puff pastry, for instance, is layered and flaky due to its high butter content and technique; shortcrust pastry is crumbly and used mainly for tarts and pies; and filo pastry is very thin and used for creating crispy layers in dishes like baklava. These characteristics make them unsuitable for creating the unique structure required for éclairs.