Make Ahead Cheese Souffle (2024)

FAQs

Can you prepare soufflé in advance? ›

Souffle may be made up ahead and refrigerated as long as 24 hours. Put souffle in cold oven and bake 50 minutes at 325 degrees. It can also be frozen up to 7 days. Allow 50 to 60 minutes to bake frozen at the same temperature.

Lightly drape the souffles with aluminum foil (to hold in moisture). These keep well for up to 2 hours at room temperature. To reheat, bake the souffles in a preheated 350 degrees oven for about 6 minutes, until they rise.

You can make souffles ahead of time in two ways. Bake them once as below and then freeze, defrost thoroughly and rebake. The mixture is also forgiving enough to be stored in a fridge for up to two days before baking again when you are ready to serve.

Making a soufflé in advance – yes, it's possible and you have three options! Option 2*: Make your batter (everything up until the egg whites) then refrigerate until needed. When ready, whisk egg whites accordingly and fold in with pre-mixed batter and continue following the recipe!

*For best reheating results, use a hot water bath with souffles left uncovered. It is recommended to refrigerate extra uncooked souffle mixture for 2 to 3 days and then bake when ready to consume.

The best way to store baked souffle so that it stays as fresh as possible for as long as possible is to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge. Make sure that the souffle has cooled down all the way before storing it.

Don't overbeat the egg whites or the mixture could fall apart and become grainy. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, which means air bubbles have formed.

Setting standard. Soufflés are best when they're still slightly runny in the centre. To check if a soufflé is set, gently tap the dish – it should wobble just a little bit. If the centre seems too fluid, cook for a few more minutes.

Serve the soufflé immediately.

The soufflé will deflate slightly after a few minutes, so it's best to serve it immediately. Plus, it's so delicious warm from the oven!

What can go wrong when making a soufflé? ›

"If you don't stabilize the egg whites enough, they can fall," he explained. "If you don't know how far to bake it and you get at the point where it's not set yet, that can fall." The best way to perfect your soufflé is understanding how to handle eggs and egg whites, Kleinhandler advised.

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).

A generous coating of melted butter and sugar helps the soufflé to rise evenly. The sugar helps the soufflé to 'climb' up the ramekin dish. Alternatively, if preparing a ramekin for a savoury soufflé using breadcrumbs instead of sugar.

Cover the top with plastic wrap and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. You could even freeze the soufflés for about a week. If you're freezing them, defrost them in the microwave for about 40 seconds before popping them in the oven.