Soufflés have a reputation for being difficult to make, but they really aren’t that hard to make. There is a bit of technique involved, but if you follow this easy recipe, you can make a beautiful soufflé like this one too.
I read several recipes before testing two recipes that looked promising. When I have never attempted a recipe before that involves some technique, I like to watch a couple of highly rated videos before making the recipe. Here’s the link to one that I think you’ll find helpful. It’s nice to be able to see the colour and texture of the roux and batter so that you know the look you’re trying to achieve. You can also have a look at the soufflé story highlight on my Instagram account for another look at the recipe steps.
One of the test recipes called for an extra egg white and I think I prefer that because I was able to achieve more height. They look so pretty when they rise over the ramekins. They both tasted good. I also searched for some tips to reduce the risk of the soufflé deflating. The most important tip is not to open the oven door while they’re baking. The other tip that I learned from trial and error is to leave the soufflés in the oven after baking (with the oven turned off) for 10 minutes to allow them to cool slightly before bringing them out to room temperature. The soufflés are too hot to eat immediately anyway. One final tip that seemed to help the soufflé rise more is to preheat the oven at a higher temperature so that the oven is really hot when they first go in. This gets them rising quickly. Then you drop the temperature slightly after you close the oven door. Finally, the last tip is to butter and flour the ramekins really well so that the soufflés don’t stick. If they stick, they won’t be able to rise very well. The reality is that all soufflés will deflate a little. That’s normal. We just don’t want them to deflate a lot. That’s why it’s best to eat them right out of the oven when they’re warm and fluffy.
Whether the soufflés rise a lot or a little, they’re going to taste great. My first batch didn’t rise too much over the rim of the ramekins, but they were incredibly delicious.
Enjoy!
This easy cheese souffle is so delicious and super easy to make.
- 3 tbsp butter, plus more for greasing ramekins
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 cup hot whole milk
- 3 tbsp fine bread crumbs for flouring ramekins (or semolina flour)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp dijon mustard (optional)
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 free range egg yolks
- 5 free range egg whites
-
Butter the ramekins with a brush. Put them in the fridge for a couple minutes to set the butter. Remove them. Butter them with butter again. Flour them with the bread crumbs.
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
-
Melt the butter in a pot on medium/low heat.
-
Add flour and stir for a minute or two. Don’t allow the roux to get dark. It should remain a light golden colour.
-
Add half of the hot milk and stir with a wooden spoon.
-
Add the remainder of the hot milk. Stir until smooth.
-
Turn off the burner. Move the pot to a cooler part of the stove top. (See notes)
-
Add the cheese, mustard, salt and spices. Stir.
-
Add one egg yolk at a time and stir until combined and smooth.
-
Whip the egg whites to a soft/medium peak.
-
Add a quarter of the egg whites to the sauce and fold it in gently.
-
Add the remaining egg whites and fold in until incorporated.
-
Ladle the batter into the ramekins almost to the top.
-
Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven on a lower middle/lower rack.
-
Close the oven door. Turn the temperature down to 375 degrees. Bake the soufflés for 25 minutes and then check on them. Bake them for another five minutes if they aren’t set and golden brown on top. Turn off the oven. Leave them in the oven for 10 more minutes.
-
Serve immediately.
If you notice that the roux stiffens up too much from overheating, just add 2 tbsp of hot milk and stir. It will loosen up.