the bubble walls viscous enough that they
won’t ooze down again. Usually the base is
precooked and can’t actually thicken during
the soufflé’s rise. The bubble walls are set by
the egg white proteins, which can be effective
only if they’re not excessively diluted by the
base material. The usual rule is to allow at
least one white or one cup whipped white per
half-cup/125 ml base.
The consistency of the base has a strong
influence on soufflé quality. Too liquid, and
the soufflé will rise and spill over before the
egg proteins have a chance to set. Too stiff,
and it won’t mix evenly with the foamed
whites or rise much. A common rule of thumb
is that the base should be cohesive yet soft
enough to fall of its own weight from a spoon.
Many Formulas Soufflé bases are made from
a broad range of ingredients. Those that
contain just egg yolks, sugar, and flavoring
are the lightest and most delicate and produce