Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt over medium/high heat. Bring to a rolling boil.

Reduce heat to medium/low and add flour, stirring continuously with a spatula or wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pot.

Remove the mixture from the heat and stir for another minute or two to cool it down a bit (it will still be hot).

Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well/until egg is incorporated after each addition until the mixture is smooth and velvety. Mixture will look like it’s separating at first – just keep mixing.

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag (or a large Ziploc bag with one corner snipped) and pipe onto prepared baking sheets by mounds about 2.5” (6cm) wide by 1” (2.5cm) tall. Pipe straight down when piping, don’t swirl the pastry onto the baking sheet as if you were piping icing on a cupcake. Space each mound at least 1 ½ inches apart (note: this is the size I typically use for large cream puffs or profiteroles, feel free to make yours different size/shape but keep an eye on the pastry as bake time will vary).

Lightly dampen your fingers with cool water and gently press down any peaks on the pastry mounds.

Bake in center rack of 400F (200C) preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the cream puffs appear dry and light golden brown. Turn off the oven and remove the pastry, pierce each with a sharp knife and then return to the oven. Let the pastry sit in the oven with the door cracked for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before using as desired.