What Is a Soufflé? (2024)

FAQs

What makes a soufflé a soufflé? ›

A souffle has two main components, a flavorful base and glossy beaten egg whites, and they are gently folded together just before baking. The word itself comes from “souffler,” meaning “to breathe” or “to puff,” which is what the whites do to the base once they hit the oven's heat.

What does a soufflé taste like? Deliciousness. But seriously though, they are very light and airy with a subtle egg flavour that enhances the ingredients that you add — they can be sweet or savoury. In the case of the two recipes we discuss in this blog post, both of our soufflés were cheese-based.

The website explains that a soufflé is a baked dish made with eggs that can be made either sweet with fruits and chocolate or savory with cheese and meats. While this sounds simple enough, what you do with the eggs and the precision needed makes the recipe so daunting.

But really, as long as you have the forethought to gather your guests at the dinner table beforehand, soufflés can be impressive, delicious, and almost effortless. Notes: Soufflés need to be served immediately or they will collapse within a few minutes, though it varies depending on the size of your baking vessel.

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.

Souffles can be either hot or cold, with hot souffles that are hearty enough to serve as the main dish. Others make savory accompaniments to an entrée. Souffles can also be cold and served as dessert. Hot souffles are usually made from cheese, fish, vegetables, fruit, chocolate and other flavorings.

It will have a structure that will barely move as you take the dish out of the oven. If the surface jiggles while you go to remove the baking dish, leave it in the oven for a few minutes longer until it's set.

You can eat it with either a fork or spoon. Typically, savory soufflés will come with a fork to catch all the heartier ingredients, while sweet will come with a spoon for the sauce and berries.

Ensure all your ingredients, especially the eggs, are at room temperature. Do not use cold eggs. Prepare and grease the soufflé dishes before you start making the soufflé mixture. Preheat the oven so once the soufflé is made and in the dish, it can go directly into the oven.

How to check when the souffle is perfectly done: To know if the souffle is perfectly cooked inside, you stick a kitchen needle into the middle. It must come out totally clean. If, on the contrary, it comes out wet and covered with egg, prolong the cooking for 2-3 minutes.

Do all soufflés fall? ›

It's a sad scene to look upon a cratered soufflé. Though they are delicious, half the fun is in the presentation. Some deflating is bound to happen after they come out of the oven and start to cool, but a total collapse indicates that something has gone wrong.

There's nothing better with the light, airy texture and rich flavor of a cheese soufflé than the crunch and acidity of a salad. Keep it simple with romaine hearts (grilled if it's the season; you can do it while the soufflé is in the oven), or mixed baby greens—especially something peppery like arugula.

While both are light and airy chocolate desserts that contain eggs, mousse is custard-based, usually contains milk or cream, and is served cold. Soufflé has fewer ingredients, and is baked and served hot.

Soufflés are light and puffy cakes made with egg yolks, beaten egg whites, and a variety of other ingredients. Soufflés can be served as a savory main course or sweetened to be a delicious dessert. The name soufflé comes from the French verb souffler, which means to blow up or puff up.

A souffle is an egg dish that puffs up when you bake it. You might make a fluffy goat cheese souffle to serve your friends at brunch. A souffle is similar to an omelet, although it is much lighter and airier, due to beaten egg whites that are folded into the other ingredients.

The key to making a light and airy soufflé lies in the method by which the whisked egg whites are incorporated into the base mixture. This process, called ''folding'', requires gentleness and patience, as the aim is to preserve as much of the air introduced into the whites during whisking as possible.

The word "soufflé" comes from the French word "souffler," which means to blow or puff. The dessert gets its name because it puffs up when it is baked, thanks to the egg whites.