Oatmeal Cheddar Breakfast Soufflé Recipe — Salt & Wind Travel (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to a good soufflé? ›

According to La Varenne Practique (a timeless masterwork you should consider owning if learning more about classic French cooking appeals), there are only a few critical points to perfecting a souffle: a base of the right consistency, stiff egg whites, and the careful folding of the base and the beaten whites.

Those air bubbles are important.

Once in the oven those bubbles grow and expand as gases and steam inflate them and causing your soufflé to rise.

But a fourth element that is absolutely critical in making souffles is not so easily acquired by some: timing. A souffle must be served the minute it comes out of the oven. That isn't impossible, but it does require some advanced planning. The sauce, called the "base," can be made ahead of time.

The Basics

There are all kinds of soufflé, yet what they all share in common is their two constituent parts: a base made of flavored cream sauce or puree and a soft meringue made of beaten egg whites. The base of a soufflé gives it its flavor, while the meringue gives it its texture.

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.

If the egg whites are not mixed enough, they will be too heavy to rise, but if they are over-whipped they will collapse in the oven. Finally, and most problematically, any cross-contamination between yolks and whites will cause the whole concoction to collapse, which is the bane of many dessert chefs' days.

A soufflé is done baking when it has risen above the rim of the dish and is nicely browned on top. It should feel mostly firm and only slightly jiggly when you lightly tap the top. Flourless soufflés, such as those made with fruit purée or chocolate, are lighter and cook faster.

A small number of foods get ruined if you open the door before they are done baking .. such as baking a souffle. The souffle will fall and be flat and dense, rather than moist and fluffy ..

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.

When the egg mixture is baked in a 350-degree oven, those air bubbles trapped in the egg whites expand, making the souffle rise. The heat also causes the protein to stiffen a bit, and along with the fat from the yolk, it forms a kind of scaffold that keeps the souffle from collapsing.

Why are egg yolks added to soufflé? ›

Egg yolks get whisked in for even more richness, and coagulation—as the eggs cook, they set, just like when you fry or scramble them, allowing the soufflé to hold onto its loft for at least some time before deflating.

A souffle should have a gooey center and a puffy top like meringue. It can be savory or sweet or somewhere in between. Souffles first popped up in France back in the 18th century. I know some people think that French stuff is all fancy, but a souffle can be simple and made at home pretty easily.

If the custard has a starch — i.e., flour — in it, the starch makes the egg less delicate and negates the need for a water bath. That distinction got me thinking about soufflés, because they're basically a heavy-on-the-whites version of a custard that has to be baked in a water bath.