[durangojo]

i am no pastry chef i admit, so when asked this question from another forum, i turn to you for guidance..can you make ahead dessert souffles and freeze them or refrigerate them and bake off later?.. my answer was no based on the fact that the rise from souffles happen because of the egg white and steam..when they are refrigerated, the egg whites deflate..i think that may be correct, but can you freeze them before baking and then bake them from frozen? i have heard of a type of souffle that you can do this with, but i don't think it is a true souffle..more pastry cream or something..chiboust sound familiar?...thanks!

[Clove]

I am not sure about the freezing part of your question, but if you do wish to make a souffle ahead of time (no more than 24 hours), some chocolate souffles will hold up well.
The chocolate in the batter will set up in the fridge and add structure, so you don't lose the volume from the egg whites. At a previous restaurant, we made souffles every other day and they baked off wonderfully for service.

[m brown]

Yes and Yes.
You can both freeze and Chill ahead.

[ChefRAZ]

yes you can freeze ..I have done that many times. works well in buffets. we would make them the night before and when they needed to use them in our buffet. i little thaw time in the fridge, then bake.

[durangojo]

thank you all..its great to learn something new everyday!

[rat]

I'm currently working on a soufflee that will work in a spumi foam maker.
So far mediocre results, the mix is still too thin when dispensed and tends to break when baked. I will keep you posted on that one.

[m brown]

Rat,
What are you putting in there? How does it work?
I have an idea but it might not be applicable.

I need to learn something new today!

THX

[Bazza]

Guys, can I ask a question or two on this? I currently make choc souffles and gruyere/spinach souffles and sometimes have probs with them sticking to the ramekins yet other times I get perfect results. I butter and sugar the ramekins (flour for the savoury ones) and refrigerate for about 20 mins. Although they rise, the result is a split surface and a kind of eruption thingy going on But other times they have a perfect flat top and evenly risen sides
Sorry to hijack this thread

[m brown]

your mix could be over worked with the spiltting issue.

I would go with a choux base for the souffles.

[boar_d_laze]

With respect to Chef Brown:

I don't know about a "choux base." By definition a savory souffle is based on a stiff bechamel, and a sweet souffle on a creme patissiere. I wouldn't think you'd want the water that is part of choux paste (pate a choux).

I also don't know about "overworking." If you're over-beating your egg whites, that's something that usually give you trouble when you're trying to fold them in -- they get tough and just won't incorporate right. On the other hand, if you're over-mixing when folding in the whites that knocks the air out of the whites and results in a flat souffle

Regarding the cracking/liquid thing, a few things spring to mind.

Your oven may be too high and/or too inconsistent. You might try cutting your temp by 15 deg F and compensating with a skosh more time.

If its with the spinach/gruyere souffle -- you may be inconsistent in the amount of liquid the spinach is putting into the mix. One fix is to use frozen spinach -- which gives up its water more easily. (I find frozen spinach is superior to fresh whenever moisture content is an issue which includes anytime a bechamel is involved, including for creamed spinach.)

Another, related to the too much water problem, but going to both kinds of souffles is not enough flour in the souffle bases. Stiffen your bechamel and/or creme by upping the amount of flour slightly. The "classic" proportions for a souffle bechamel are 2 tbs butter + 2 tbs AP flour and 1 cup milk (infused with onion and bay); and for a souffle creme are 4 yolks + 4 tbs sugar + 2 tbs AP flour + 8 oz milk + 2 oz 1/2 and 1/2. I'm assuming you know how to make both of these -- but if you need more instruction on technique, just let me know.

Some other thoughts:

Don't use too much butter to fix the flour or sugar on the sides -- the point of the flour or sugar is to prevent sticking as the souffle rises, and makes for better service because the diner gets that good side-crust, and most important of all, easier clean up. Hey, priorities. But I digress. Let's return to the overly technical world of souffles. After you get the whole thing greased and floured or sugared, use your finger to put a heavy ring of butter around the top 1/4" of the inside of the dish. This is the pro's way to get a "top hat" effect going. Better looking, better rise. The other way -- a little easier -- is to use the tip of your pallete knife or a spoon to draw a ring around the outside.

No matter how you handle them, souffles sometimes crack, especially the sweet ones. Just dust them with powdered sugar or punch the center in at the table, and pour creme anglaise or chocolate sauce in the middle. Trust me, the cracks will be a thing forgotten.

Hope this helps,
BDL

[Bazza]

Thanks again, I have been concentrating on the greasing side of things for a while because I can see the souffles struggling to get out. I even get one side risen and the other stuck down, like a beret instead of a top hat! I will look at the moisture thing now and see if that helps.

What is your opinion on adding a pinch of cream of tartar or salt to the egg whites? I find it helps, but I have also tried omitting these and had perfectly good results.

[boar_d_laze]

Salt/cream of tartar? Two different things. Cream of tartar is a "dry" acid, that makes any liquid more acidic once added. This helps bring up the whites. I'm not sure what salt would add to the beating process. I know you use it to clean the bowl, both for its abrasive and absorbent properties, but am not educated in its other properties.

If you want more robust whites, the best professional technique I know, going beyond beating the egg whites to their proper consistency (very stiff, but before they start losing gloss) is to add a little powdered egg white (from baking shops) plus a very little bit of mild vinegar (I use Chinese rice vinegar). This gives you a little extra time in terms of getting the souffle in the oven, and allows it a little more leeway getting to the table too.

It doesn't really do much more than that. I figure for a home cook, it doesn't really make sense since the souffle is going to be the star of the party and can go in the oven as soon as its prepped, and go to table as soon as its done -- without bumping into a lot of waiters backing through doors on the way. The big thing is getting the egg whites right.

Uneven rises usually mean one of three things, uneven mixing, an uneven oven or both. Mixing consists of two things -- folding in the whites and getting the souffle into the dish. A lot of people don't know how to nudge it into the dish, and collapse some of the egg whites as they fill. Others are too gentle and leave gaps in the dish. I find it works best to err on the side of gentle, overfill the dish somewhat, then move the excess around the top a bit with the side of my pallete knife on the edge of the dish. Drawing the blade across the top, seems to push the souffle down enough to fill any gaps.

BDL

[Bazza]

I was told to try salt for the cheese souffles but fount it did't help much.

Sorry I have not mentioned that these are small individual souffles in ramekins. I make ten in one batch and that for the most part I get good results, I am probably looking for perfection and with something as complex as a souffle it just aint gonna happen every time. Thanks for your comments though I will play around a little and see if I can achieve perfection one day.