How to Make a Cheese Soufflé That Rises
Few dishes frighten home cooks like a soufflé, and few are as misunderstood. A cheese soufflé is a béchamel enriched with cheese and lightened with whipped egg whites. It rises reliably if you follow three rules — and even if it falls, it still tastes wonderful.
The three rules
- Prep the dish properly. Butter it upwards in vertical strokes and coat with grated Parmesan or breadcrumbs. The coating gives the mixture something to climb.
- Stabilise the whites. Whip to soft, glossy peaks — not stiff and dry — and fold them in gently in three additions.
- Do not open the oven. Every glance lets out heat and can make it collapse.
Ingredients (serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a main)
- 40 g butter, plus extra for the dish
- 40 g plain flour
- 300 ml whole milk, warm
- 150 g mature Cheddar, Gruyère or Comté, grated
- 4 eggs, separated, plus 1 extra white
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt, white pepper, a pinch of nutmeg
- Grated Parmesan for the dish
Method
- Butter a 1.5-litre soufflé dish and coat the inside with grated Parmesan. Chill it.
- Make a béchamel: melt the butter, whisk in the flour, cook a minute, then add the warm milk gradually until thick and smooth.
- Off the heat, stir in the cheese, mustard, seasoning and the egg yolks.
- Whisk the egg whites to soft, glossy peaks.
- Fold a third of the whites into the base to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two additions, cutting and lifting rather than stirring.
- Pour into the dish, level the top and run a thumb around the inside rim to help it rise straight.
- Bake at 190°C / 375°F for 25–30 minutes, until risen, golden and just set with a slight wobble.
- Serve immediately.
Why it sometimes falls
Soufflés fall because the trapped air cools and contracts — it is physics, not failure. The common avoidable causes are under-whipped whites, over-folded batter that knocks out the air, or a cold draught when the oven opens. Serve from the oven to the table quickly, and forgive a gentle slump.
Food-safety note
Soufflé contains eggs, but the dish is fully baked, so it is safe for most people. Follow normal egg-handling guidance and see our site disclaimer for general food-safety information.
Use a proper melting cheese — see our guides to Gruyère and Cheddar.
