Julia Child's Advice For High-Rising Souffle Every Time

Julia Child's list of cooking tips seems to be never ending. From elevating store bought items to making perfectly tender asparagus, she has been helping home cooks go from good to great for years now, even long after her passing. When it comes to her favorite cuisine, French cooking, she is especially helpful.

For making souffle specifically, Julia Child has a simple oven tip for ensuring a high-rising souffle every single time. First, set the racks to the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit; once the souffle is put in, be sure to reduce the temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

From there, keep the temperature set at 375 degrees and let the souffle bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Regardless of if the souffle is savory or sweet, this trick will help make the souffle rise high each time. When combined with other souffle tips, from both Julia Child herself and other chefs, making a perfect souffle is achievable every single time.

To help the souffle rise easily as it cooks, Julia Child recommends buttering the mold heavily on the sides and the bottom. Other cooks have noted that anything that touches part of the souffle that will rise should be coated in butter too. A well greased surface will make it easier for the batter to climb.

Julia Child also notes that depending on how you like the center's texture to be, the souffle can either be served immediately after 25 to 30 minutes of baking, or you can allow it to sit for another five minutes. She mentions that a souffle will stay risen and nicely puffed in a turned off oven for about five minutes, but afterwards it will start to deflate.

Others have noted certain changes in temperature will cause a souffle to deflate as well. For example, opening the oven door to check on the souffle will cause a change in temperature. Keeping the temperature too low will also prevent a souffle from rising. Overall, air is what gives a souffle its texture, so encouraging and keeping air into the souffle is the key.