How to Master the Souffle (2024)

Whether they're laced with sharp cheddar or flavored with cocoa and Grand Marnier, soufflés look elegant, but are surprisingly simple to pull off. A soufflé starts with a thick white sauce, which is blended with egg yolks, then combined with beaten egg whites and baked. We got the inside tips from the pros in our GH kitchens (some have been creating picture-perfect examples for more than 25 years!).

• Let egg whites come to room temperature before beating, to achieve greatest volume. Separate eggs when they're cold, then place the bowl with whites in a larger bowl of warm tap water for a few minutes, to warm slightly.
• Choose a large, deep mixing bowl for beating whites. They can increase up to nine times in volume.
• Avoid any trace of fat in whites. A speck of yolk, dish-detergent residue or a greasy film on a plastic mixing bowl can inhibit egg-white foam. If in doubt, wipe bowls, beaters and scrapers with lemon juice or vinegar, then dry with a paper towel.
• Beat until stiff peaks form. Underbeaten whites won't rise properly. Overbeaten ones will form dry puffs that don't hold air well and break down when folded into yolk mixture. Stop beating whites when stiff but not dry. Tilt bowl to test; if they slip and slide, beat just a little more.
• Stir in additional ingredients with the egg yolks. A good rule is about 1 1/2 cups of mix-ins total (in any combination) per 4- to 6-egg soufflé. Finely chopped or grated veggies (such as frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry), shredded Gruyère, cheddar or fontina cheese, diced ham or roasted chicken, and flaked canned salmon add richness and flavor.
• Carefully fold beaten egg whites into soufflé batter. First stir one-fourth of egg whites into yolk mixture to loosen it. Then fold in the remaining whites gradually: With edge of large rubber spatula, cut through the middle of the whites down to the bottom. Bring the spatula up the side of the bowl with a big scoop of batter, and lift and turn the spatula so the batter falls gently back on top of the whites. Rotate the bowl, and repeat until whites and batter are just blended (you will probably need to do about six to eight spins).
• Use the right baking dish. You want a soufflé dish or round, deep, straight-sided ovenproof casserole. Do not grease it (a buttered dish is slippery and won't let a soufflé climb to maximum height) unless you also add a dusting of dry bread crumbs, cornmeal or grated Parmesan cheese. For dessert soufflés, dust with sugar. Then fill to just below the rim, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between mixture and top of dish.
• Be patient. Don't peek until after the first half of baking is completed, or the soufflé could collapse. It should rise two to three inches above the rim; you want a dry, firm, golden-brown crust with a moist, creamy inside (when testing with a knife, the blade will be wet, but not covered with runny liquid). Gently move the oven rack back and forth to see whether the soufflé is still shaky or more firmly set. An overcooked soufflé will start to deflate while it's still in the oven.

Try these delicious soufflé recipes