Cheese Soufflé – Soufflé au Fromage

October 24, 2025

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Cheese Soufflé is a basic French dish produced from primary components – eggs, milk, butter and cheese – that turns into one thing particular. It puffs up fantastically with a golden high and ethereal centre. There’s no should be intimidated, with the proper method, soufflé is less complicated than you suppose! I promise!

If there’s one factor I learnt from watching JB make over 30 variations of soufflé, it’s this: getting that huge golden puff is straightforward. However getting one which’s custardy-fluffy inside, really tastes of cheese, and stays puffed lengthy sufficient to get to the desk, enable time for the oohs, ahhs and images and nonetheless be puffed whenever you dig into it? That’s a unicorn.

However that’s precisely what you get with JB’s Cheese Soufflé. Hand on coronary heart, that is the most effective soufflé I’ve ever had in my life. It’s a stunner. I hope you like it as a lot as I do!

Cheese Soufflé

Hello everybody, thanks a lot for the sort suggestions after my first recipe, Hen Chasseur. I couldn’t resist following it up with one other French basic, Cheese Soufflé!

It’s a type of dishes that appears tough to make however actually isn’t. You simply have to ensure it’s served immediately whereas it’s nonetheless puffed and proud! I nonetheless keep in mind my restaurant days when soufflé was on the menu, it was pure chaos each time one got here out of the oven. The second it was prepared, somebody would yell “Soufflé!!” throughout the kitchen and hope the wait employees would magically seem instantly to sprint it to the desk. As a result of if there’s one rule all of us lived by, it’s this: Monsieur Soufflé doesn’t wait.

Right here’s what a soufflé seems like straight out of the oven, after which once more 5 minutes later. Certain, it’s greatest to dive in when it’s puffed and golden, however even after it drops slightly, it’s nonetheless tender and ethereal inside and simply pretty much as good to eat.

About this Cheese Soufflé

This can be a very basic French soufflé made by folding Mornay sauce into whipped egg whites for that golden, fluffy rise. (Mornay sauce is solely béchamel sauce with cheese melted by means of it.)

What makes this recipe totally different from most soufflés is that I take advantage of nearly twice the standard quantity of Mornay sauce. It provides the soufflé an actual cheese flavour (rarer than you’d suppose!) and a luxuriously custardy, cloud-like centre that’s really restaurant high quality – the usual the cooks I labored for anticipated of me.

A little bit of cream of tartar helps the soufflé keep secure with out dropping its gentle texture. We didn’t use it in eating places, however I like to recommend it for dwelling cooking as slightly security internet.

I’ve misplaced depend on what number of occasions I’ve examined this. In all probability over 30 by now. However this didn’t have an effect on my need to indicate you make it so let’s get began!

Substances

Nothing fancy right here, simply on a regular basis components that flip into one thing actually particular as soon as they hit the oven!

Milk, full fats – Simply plain cow milk. Low fats works as effectively. Don’t substitute with non-dairy milk.
Unsalted butter – For making the roux (the bottom of the Mornay sauce). Should you solely have salted, cut back the added salt.
Plain flour (all-purpose flour) – Thickens the béchamel and stabilises the whipped eggs so it stays aerated and fluffy as soon as baked. Ensure that to prepare dinner it for a few minutes with the butter so that you don’t find yourself with a uncooked flour style.
Egg – We use the yolks to counterpoint the sauce. And the whites are the key to that lovely elevate! Separate the eggs when fridge chilly – it’s simpler – then allow them to come to room temperature earlier than you begin the recipe. Bonus level: you’ll have an additional yolk to make use of for one among these recipes!
Gruyère cheese – Basic selection for cheese soufflé! With glorious melting qualities, Gruyère provides stunning flavour with out being overpowering. Comté is the closest match however generally is a bit expensive right here in Australia, be at liberty to make use of it if it’s inexpensive the place you might be. Swiss cheese / Emmental can be my subsequent selection. In any other case use your favorite melting cheese like Cheddar (delicate ones), Monterey Jack, Colby or Tasty.
Cream of tartar – Helps stabilise the crushed egg whites in order that they keep fluffy and don’t weep. We use the minimal quantity right here as a result of utilizing extra compromises the feel (I examined). Utilizing it additionally means that you can get extra time to fold, fill, and bake your soufflé with out dropping quantity. Should you don’t have any, no worries, your soufflé will nonetheless rise fantastically, it simply received’t keep overvalued fairly as lengthy.
Salt – Cooking salt / Kosher salt, simply sufficient to deliver out the cheese flavour. Keep in mind, cheeses can range in saltiness, so style your Mornay sauce earlier than including extra.
White pepper – Used as an alternative of black pepper so that you don’t get little black specks displaying by means of your stunning golden soufflé. It provides a mild heat and delicate spice. However when you don’t thoughts the look, black pepper works nice too!.

Uncooked soufflés, able to hit the oven!

Tips on how to make Cheese Soufflé

Soufflés have a little bit of a “scary” status, however actually, they’re simpler than you suppose. It’s only a fancy identify for a cheese sauce overvalued with egg whites in any case. As soon as you know the way to do this, you’re set. The oven does the remainder!

1. Preparation

Preheat the oven – Preheat to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan). The oven must be actually sizzling earlier than you begin, that first burst of warmth helps the soufflé rise tall. If the oven isn’t sizzling sufficient, the soufflé received’t elevate correctly.
Put together the ramekins – Brush the within of 4 (325 ml / 1 1/3 cup) ramekins effectively with melted butter utilizing a pastry brush, then place them on a baking tray. (There’s a brushing upwards method usually used for soufflés however that’s solely helpful when the soufflé combination goes in chilly. Ours is heat, so no want for that trick, sure, I’ve examined it! It really works nice for chilly mixtures like chocolate soufflés. Coming quickly? Possibly!!!)

2. Make Mornay sauce (cheese sauce)

Mornay sauce is solely béchamel sauce enriched with egg yolks and cheese. It’s not troublesome to make in any respect.

Warmth the milk – Pour the milk right into a small saucepan and place it over medium warmth. Heat it till you see steam rising, however don’t let it boil. Set it apart.
Make the roux – Whereas the milk warms, soften the butter in a big saucepan over medium warmth. Add the flour and whisk gently. It should look thick and pasty at first, like moist sand. Preserve whisking for about 2 minutes till it turns into easy and glossy. Ensure that to scrape into the corners of the pan and don’t let it brown. If it’s cooking too quick, decrease the warmth.

Make Béchamel – Slowly add one-third of the recent milk to the roux whereas whisking rapidly. It should thicken instantly. Then add half of the remaining milk, whisk till easy, and at last add the remainder together with the salt and pepper. Preserve whisking for a couple of minute till the sauce is thick, easy, and lump-free.
Examine the thickness – Whenever you drag a spatula by means of the center of the sauce, it ought to depart a transparent path that holds its form for a second earlier than slowly closing.

Add the yolks – Flip off the warmth and whisk within the egg yolks one after the other. They received’t prepare dinner, they’ll simply mix in to make the sauce richer.
Add cheese and flip it right into a Mornay sauce – Flip the warmth again to medium and whisk within the grated Gruyère till melted and easy. Scrape down the perimeters, cowl with a lid, and put aside. Congratulations – you’ve simply made a Mornay sauce!

3. Folding within the Egg Whites and Baking

Beat the egg whites – Put the egg whites and cream of tartar in a big bowl. Utilizing a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin beating on medium pace for about 2 minutes till tender peaks type.
End the egg whites – Enhance the pace to excessive and beat for one more 30 seconds till agency peaks type (see picture above). Beginning slowly helps the whites construct a secure construction. Should you rush, they’ll flip foamy and collapse later, I’ve discovered that the arduous approach!

Fold gently – Utilizing a hand whisk, give the Mornay a fast whisk to make it easy once more. Add 1 / 4 of the crushed egg whites and whisk it in to loosen the Mornay sauce. Then, utilizing a rubber spatula, gently fold in one-third of the remaining whites. Use gradual, sweeping motions from the underside of the bowl, you need to maintain as a lot air as attainable. (See video at 2.quarter-hour). Tough folding = flat soufflé.
End the combination – Repeat folding two extra occasions till all of the egg whites are simply mixed. Don’t fear about just a few white streaks, they’ll mix in later.

Fill the ramekins – Use a ladle or massive spoon to fill the ramekins to about 1 cm / 0.4″ beneath the rim. Clean the tops with the again of a spoon dipped in water. ⚠️ Don’t overfill or they’ll overflow. And when you don’t fill sufficient, they received’t rise above the rim impressively.
Clear the edges – Run your thumb across the inside rim of every ramekin to scrub it, this offers the soufflé a clear edge to rise in opposition to.

Bake – Place the ramekins on a tray and bake for 20 minutes till tall and golden, nevertheless it jiggles when you give the ramekin a mild shake. Don’t open the oven door, the sudden drop in warmth will make them sink. So no peeking! 🫣
Serve instantly – As soon as out of the oven, serve instantly. Soufflés rise fantastically however fall quick, that’s simply how they’re! So ensure everybody’s prepared on the desk to benefit from the second.

Custardy insides (after Nagi peeled off and ate the crust – her favorite half!)

Tips on how to serve Cheese Soufflé

I personally love soufflé by itself however you can positively pair it with a blended leaves salad seasoned with an on a regular basis dressing, a facet of roasted cauliflower, garlic butter mushrooms or sautéed spinach. And perhaps some bread as a result of it’s French. ☺️

And there you could have it, the basic French Cheese Soufflé. It seems fancy, nevertheless it’s produced from easy components. Should you’ve ever thought soufflés had been too arduous, I hope this recipe modifications your thoughts. Simply observe the steps, don’t peek within the oven, and belief the method, it is going to rise! Serve it immediately with a glass of white wine (Chablis can be my selection), and also you’ll really feel such as you’re in slightly café in France.

You’ve bought this! Bon appétit 😋 – JB

FAQ – Cheese Soufflé / Soufflé au Fromage

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