The Simple Buttering Tip To Help Your Soufflé Rise Evenly

We've heard the horror story many times before — an ill-fated home cook spends all day in the kitchen trying to whip up an impressive soufflé. Everything goes according to plan until they take it out of the oven, and one sudden movement makes the delicate soufflé deflate. Although these stories often exaggerate quite a bit, soufflé baking is still a procedure that involves a gentle hand and precision. Through all the steps of the process there are multiple moments when a soufflé can easily go wrong. But, the one major thing you need to do to ensure your soufflé is a high riser is to properly butter your baking dish.

In fact, your soufflé journey should start with greasing your baking vessel. Most soufflés are baked in ramekins. These are porcelain, cup-shaped baking molds with high vertical walls, like these 4 ounce Dowan Classic Style Ramekins available on Amazon. Use a pastry brush to grease the ramekin with softened butter, but only use upwards strokes. This is a technique Gordon Ramsay uses, generously greasing the bottom and swiping the brush vertically up the sides of the ramekin. 

When buttering your baking vessel using this method, the vertical swipes make for minuscule tracks that will help guide the baking soufflé upward in an even manner. After the first round of greasing, Ramsay recommends popping the ramekins into the fridge and repeating the process once the first layer of butter has hardened. The fact Ramsay is so exacting with this dessert should not come as a surprise; Ramsay even has a specific way he prepares apples when making a pie.

Another tip to ensure that your soufflé rises evenly is to coat the inside of the ramekin after you have greased it. Sugar is a great choice if you're baking sweet soufflés while grated parmesan cheese or breadcrumbs can be used when you're making savory ones (like Jacques Pépin's cheese soufflé). Either way, this coating gives the batter something coarse to grip onto as it rises, providing it with extra support and stability. 

Of course, buttering and coating your ramekin is only worth it if you have the rest of the baking process dialled in; no amount of butter is going to make up for incorrect oven temperatures. Baking a soufflé requires a hot oven, as the intense heat makes the moisture in the batter turn to steam and any gas in the mixture to expand. This steam and expanding gas are what enable the soufflé to rise and develop its light and airy texture. It all depends on your recipe, but 400 degrees Fahrenheit is typically a good baking temperature; it is hot enough to create a rise without burning the crust before the center is cooked through.

Finally, it is imperative that you serve the soufflé directly from the oven. Even the best soufflés start to deflate as they cool down. Leave it too long and you'll be left with an underwhelming dessert. Of course, if you're not feeling up to the challenge that's fine. Why not try making one of these wonderful no-bake desserts instead?