Finally, a fact that follows from both the
up and the down sides of the soufflé principle:
a fallen soufflé will rise again if put back into
the oven. Those air bubbles are still in there,
as is most of the moisture; and both air and
moisture will expand again as the temperature
goes up. You won’t get as high a rise the
second or third time around, because the
soufflé mix has stiffened and there’s less
water available. But you can resurrect
leftovers, or cook the soufflé once to set it and
unmold it, then again to serve it.
The Soufflé Base The soufflé base, the
preparation into which the foamed egg whites
are incorporated, serves two essential
purposes. The first is to provide the soufflé’s
flavor (the base must be over flavored to
compensate for its dilution by tasteless egg
white and air). The second purpose is to
contribute a reservoir of moisture for the
soufflé’s rise, and starch and protein to make