How do I make sure my soufflé rises?

Question (from Kathy in upstate New York): What’s the most important aspect of making a successful souffle? How do I make sure that it rises properly?  

John: The most important aspect of making a successful souffle is whipping the egg whites to the right consistency. You always want to mix all the ingredients together and then whip up the egg whites. You’ll want to fold the whipped egg whites into the dough as the last step before baking.

I recommend that if you are going to err on any side, err on the side of “under” whipping the egg whites, rather than drying them out by overwhipping. The souffle will be flat if the egg whites are overwhipped. It will also be flat if you seriously “under” whip, but if you slightly under whip the egg whites, it will be OK. You want to whip them enough that you have the structure and texture to support the souffle.

Take a look at the video to see how the eggs look when they are perfectly whipped. You’ll want to start out with a clean bowl and beaters. Let your eggs sit out at room temperature for thirty minutes and then separate them, being careful not to get ANY yolk into the egg whites. Whip the egg whites on high speed until they are white and frothy. Start to add the sugar slowly while still mixing. Then keep whipping until they stand up in soft, bouncy peaks. They will have a nice snowy white sheen. Stop before they get to the airy, dry stage.

This may take you a little bit of practice. Don’t be afraid to start over if you whip them for too long. This process is much easier if your eggs are at room temperature so don’t forget to remove them from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you start.