souffles and convection; need help by Saturday afternoon

16 years ago

Help! I'm planning to make chocolate souffle on Saturday (Julia Child's recipe from The Way to Cook which I've made before and it's super-yummy, but haven't made it in forever, or from one of the other recipes I've found).

If I want to prepare the recipe earlier in the day, or even the day before, and then refrigerate 'til ready to bake (taking it out of fridge to "warm up" before baking), should I prepare the base w/out the egg whites, refrigerate it, and then fold in the egg whites just before filling souffle dish(es) and then baking, or should I mix everything together, fill the dish(es), and then refrigerate the filled dish(es)? From what I've read/been told, either or both are ok, but will either way give good (or better than the other) results?

Also, when I last made souffle, I baked it in my old Caloric gas oven, regular bake (that's all it had). Now, I have an all gas Wolf range with a convection fan. I've read that it's ok to use convection to bake souffles and also that it's not good to use convection--huh? Which would is correct, convection fan or NO convection fan?

I've also read that the souffle dishe(s) should be placed in the center of the oven and not on a lower rack, and yet other recipes/articles suggest that it should be baked in the lower part of the oven.

So, to recap my questions:

1) prepare base minus egg whites ahead of time or base including egg whites ahead of time?

2) convection fan baking or regular bake? If convection baking any temp/time adjustment necessary?

3) center rack or lower rack?

TIA!!!

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Comments (3)

lindac
16 years ago
I wouldn't try to make a souffle ahead....what causes the rise is the superheating of the air beaten into the egg whites. If the base is cold, and you fold egg whites into it...it will take longer to cook and likely dry out before it cooks.
If you fold the eggs into the base and then refrigerate the whole thing, any fats in the base will cause the eggs to deflate.
You could make the base an hour or so ahead and keep it at room temp and then fold in the beaten egg whites but I wouldn't mix it anymore than that ahead. That's the thing about a souffle, it's a last minute thing and must be served immediatly or it will fall.
Linda C
compumom
16 years ago
I totally defer to Linda's experience on the prep, but on the subject of convection, my guess is that it would dry out the top and not bake evenly.
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cat_mom
Original Author
16 years ago
I've seen recipes where it says you can prepare the entire thing up to three days ahead and then refrigerate the filled ramekins 'til ready to bake (bringing to room temp first). I had been told years ago that I can prep the base w/out the egg whites a few hours in advance, but not add the egg whites and fill the dish(es)'til just before baking. I'd love to get everything prepped before dinner guests arrive, but only if I knew it was going to turn out okay (of course--LOL!).

I am leaning away from convection for the same reason compumom. I could swear I'd read that you shouldn't use convection to bake souffles, but in my search the other night I couldn't get a consistent answer.

Here's another question; if I want to bake the souffle in individual (8 or 10 oz) ramekins instead of in one souffle dish (as I had done the few times I did make souffle years ago), how do I, or even should I adjust the baking time/temp?

souffles and convection; need help by Saturday afternoon

Comments (3)

lindac

compumom

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souffles and convection; need help by Saturday afternoon

Comments (3)

lindac

compumom

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