The Real Reason Soufflé Is So Difficult To Make - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

The Real Reason Soufflé Is So Difficult To Make - Tasting Table? ›

While this sounds simple enough, what you do with the eggs and the precision needed makes the recipe so daunting. Because soufflés get their impressive poof from egg whites, you must separate those from the yolks with absolutely no cross-contamination.

Soufflés can be fussy to make, I guess? You have to separate egg whites from yolks (you don't want any yolks in the egg whites), ensure that you have a nice meringue, and fold in your meringue in parts and not all at once.

Heat matters. Make sure the oven is preheated; that initial hot blast expands the air trapped inside the bubbly foam of batter, which makes it rise. Having the soufflé base hot or warm when you fold in the egg whites helps the temperature rise quickly, too.

The myth about them falling when there is a loud noise or a slight bump is entirely false. Soufflés will inevitably collapse, not because of being bumped, but because the air that is whipped into the egg whites, which has been heated by the oven, cools, so the soufflé falls.

If the temperature is too low, the souffle won't rise properly. If the temperature is too high, the souffle will rise just like a popover with big air pockets inside. Ideally, bake the souffle in the lower third of the oven.

Ten tips to keep your souffle high and handsome

Use eggs at room temperature to maximise your rise. Avoid super fresh eggs. Preheat your oven to 200C. A hot oven is crucial to souffle success because it cooks the outside making it hard for the hot air to escape.

There's only one serious secret to the perfect soufflé and that is careful whisking of the egg whites so they keep their volume and puff to a maximum in the oven. The whites should be at room temperature and you can reckon at least one and a half per person.

While it's cooking, the air trapped in the egg whites expands, causing it to rise. The proteins stiffen a little during baking but when the air cools and starts to escape, there isn't enough 'scaffolding' to hold them up, so they deflate, even when expertly made.

Every soufflé is an asymmetrical, one-of-a-kind dish. This billowy creation—a hallmark of French culinary tradition—can be served as a sweet dessert with chocolate or berries, or a savory meal with gruyère cheese, vegetables, or meat.

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.

Why does my soufflé taste eggy? ›

If your Soufflé Cake tastes eggy, it's either undercooked or overcooked. Make sure that you don't increase the temperature, this will also make the eggs rubbery and taste eggy. Stick to a low temperature.

“The hardest part of making a soufflé is when you incorporate the beaten egg white with yolks, and the rest of the batter. You have to be very careful to fold the egg whites slowly, so that they don't melt.” “A KitchenAid is the best investment if you want to make soufflés regularly.”

Making a successful soufflé is not nearly as difficult as it sounds, but it does require doing a few things properly. They include: Liberally buttering and sugaring your ramekins. This includes the inner base and walls, all the way up to the top rim.

Of course, most baked goods aren't sensitive enough to respond negatively to regular kitchen noise. If you're baking a particularly fragile cake, like a souffle, you'll be fine if you just close the oven door gently and turn the heavy metal music down a hair.

All soufflés fall within minutes of coming out of the oven because the hot air bubbles contract to shrink and deflate when they hit cooler air. That is why you need to serve them immediately after baking.

A soufflé is made up of a base (usually white sauce or creme patissiere enriched with egg yolks), a flavor (added to the base) and whipped egg whites gently folded in and baked in the oven. While it's cooking, the air trapped in the egg whites expands, causing it to rise.

While soufflés are delicate and sensitive creations, they're also fundamentally simple, consisting of a flavored base that's lightened with beaten egg whites.

The custard base provides the flavor and the meringue provides the rising effect that soufflés are famous for. Egg whites, which are pure protein, are beaten to add air to them. The proteins in the egg whites surround the air bubbles and develop into a frothy mixture that, when baked, makes the soufflé rise.