Cheese Soufflé – Soufflé au Fromage

October 25, 2025

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Cheese Soufflé is a traditional French dish produced from fundamental substances – eggs, milk, butter and cheese – that turns into one thing particular. It puffs up superbly with a golden prime and ethereal centre. There’s no should be intimidated, with the precise approach, soufflé is simpler than you assume! I promise!

If there’s one factor I learnt from watching JB make over 30 variations of soufflé, it’s this: getting that massive golden puff is simple. However getting one which’s custardy-fluffy inside, truly 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 once 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 very best soufflé I’ve ever had in my life. It’s a stunner. I hope you find it irresistible as a lot as I do!

Cheese Soufflé

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

It’s a kind of dishes that appears tough to make however actually isn’t. You simply have to verify 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 workers 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 appears to be like like straight out of the oven, after which once more 5 minutes later. Positive, it’s greatest to dive in when it’s puffed and golden, however even after it drops slightly, it’s nonetheless smooth and ethereal inside and simply nearly as good to eat.

Cheese soufflé (soufflé au fromage) — Souffle recent out of the oven!

About this Cheese Soufflé

It is a very traditional 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 via it.)

What makes this recipe totally different from most soufflés is that I take advantage of virtually twice the same old quantity of Mornay sauce. It provides the soufflé an actual cheese flavour (rarer than you’d assume!) 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 residence cooking as slightly security internet.

I’ve misplaced rely on what number of instances I’ve examined this. Most likely over 30 by now. However this didn’t have an effect on my want to indicate you make it so let’s get began!

Elements

Nothing fancy right here, simply on a regular basis substances 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 properly. Don’t substitute with non-dairy milk.
Unsalted butter – For making the roux (the bottom of the Mornay sauce). If you happen to solely have salted, scale 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. Make certain to cook 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 complement the sauce. And the whites are the key to that lovely carry! 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 in all these recipes!
Gruyère cheese – Traditional alternative for cheese soufflé! With wonderful melting qualities, Gruyère provides lovely flavour with out being overpowering. Comté is the closest match however could be a bit expensive right here in Australia, be at liberty to make use of it if it’s reasonably priced the place you’re. Swiss cheese / Emmental could be my subsequent alternative. 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 so 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. If you happen to don’t have any, no worries, your soufflé will nonetheless rise superbly, it simply received’t keep hyped up fairly as lengthy.
Salt – Cooking salt / Kosher salt, simply sufficient to carry out the cheese flavour. Keep in mind, cheeses can differ in saltiness, so style your Mornay sauce earlier than including extra.
White pepper – Used as a substitute of black pepper so that you don’t get little black specks exhibiting via your lovely golden soufflé. It provides a mild heat and delicate spice. However in case you don’t thoughts the look, black pepper works advantageous too!.

Uncooked soufflés, able to hit the oven!

Methods to make Cheese Soufflé

Soufflés have a little bit of a “scary” status, however truthfully, they’re simpler than you assume. It’s only a fancy title for a cheese sauce hyped up with egg whites in spite of everything. As soon as you know the way to do this, you’re set. The oven does the remaining!

1. Preparation

Preheat the oven – Preheat to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan). The oven must be actually scorching earlier than you begin, that first burst of warmth helps the soufflé rise tall. If the oven isn’t scorching sufficient, the soufflé received’t carry correctly.
Put together the ramekins – Brush the within of 4 (325 ml / 1 1/3 cup) ramekins properly with melted butter utilizing a pastry brush, then place them on a baking tray. (There’s a brushing upwards approach 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? Perhaps!!!)

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 clean and glossy. Make certain 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 clean, and at last add the remaining together with the salt and pepper. Preserve whisking for a couple of minute till the sauce is thick, clean, and lump-free.
Examine the thickness – While you drag a spatula via 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 cook dinner, they are going to 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 clean. Scrape down the edges, 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 velocity for about 2 minutes till smooth peaks kind.
End the egg whites – Enhance the velocity to excessive and beat for one more 30 seconds till agency peaks kind (see photograph above). Beginning slowly helps the whites construct a secure construction. If you happen to rush, they’ll flip foamy and collapse later, I’ve discovered that the laborious method!

Fold gently – Utilizing a hand whisk, give the Mornay a fast whisk to make it clean 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 preserve as a lot air as doable. (See video at 2.quarter-hour). Tough folding = flat soufflé.
End the combination – Repeat folding two extra instances till all of the egg whites are simply mixed. Don’t fear about a couple of 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″ under the rim. Clean the tops with the again of a spoon dipped in water. ⚠️ Don’t overfill or they’ll overflow. And in case 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 in case 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 superbly however fall quick, that’s simply how they’re! So be certain everybody’s prepared on the desk to benefit from the second.

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

Methods to serve Cheese Soufflé

I personally love soufflé by itself however you can undoubtedly 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 possibly some bread as a result of it’s French. ☺️

And there you could have it, the traditional French Cheese Soufflé. It appears to be like fancy, nevertheless it’s produced from easy substances. If you happen to’ve ever thought soufflés had been too laborious, I hope this recipe adjustments your thoughts. Simply comply with the steps, don’t peek within the oven, and belief the method, it’ll rise! Serve it immediately with a glass of white wine (Chablis could be my alternative), and also you’ll really feel such as you’re in slightly café in France.

You’ve acquired this! Bon appétit 😋 – JB

FAQ – Cheese Soufflé / Soufflé au Fromage

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