Double baked Spinach Soufflé
Pane-Bistecca
A double-baked spinach soufflé is absolutely delicious! A soufflé is something wonderful. Creamy, cheesy, light, and fluffy, it impresses everyone—not just with its taste, but also because of its reputation for being particularly difficult to make. However, making a soufflé isn’t a nerve-wracking affair.
Don’t worry, soufflé bakers. In my opinion, a twice-baked soufflé is just as good as its once-baked counterpart. The beauty of a twice-baked soufflé is that you can complete the first step hours or even a day or two before you plan to serve it. It’s stable enough to hold up over that time. Before the second baking, it’s topped with a creamy sauce, resulting in a soufflé with sauce—simply perfection.
Basically, the first step of the process is the same as making a regular soufflé. A béchamel base is enriched with egg yolks and seasoned to taste—cheese is the most popular choice, but I also added blanched spinach. Then the mixture is lightened and made airy by folding in stiffly beaten egg whites. It is then poured into ramekins and placed in the oven to bake. So far, so normal.
The difference, however, is that the béchamel base is slightly firmer than in a normal soufflé, so that it can better withstand being turned out of the mold and left to stand for several hours. Since the soufflé is turned out of the mold, it’s even more important than usual to make sure the dish is well greased with butter and dusted with flour.
When baked for the first time, double-baked soufflés rise and turn golden brown. Now they can be placed in the refrigerator for several hours or even overnight—this won’t harm them. The soufflés will deflate slightly, but that’s perfectly normal. As soon as they’re baked again, they’ll spring back to life.
Don’t worry, soufflé bakers. In my opinion, a twice-baked soufflé is just as good as its once-baked counterpart. The beauty of a twice-baked soufflé is that you can complete the first step hours or even a day or two before you plan to serve it. It’s stable enough to hold up over that time. Before the second baking, it’s topped with a creamy sauce, resulting in a soufflé with sauce—simply perfection.
Basically, the first step of the process is the same as making a regular soufflé. A béchamel base is enriched with egg yolks and seasoned to taste—cheese is the most popular choice, but I also added blanched spinach. Then the mixture is lightened and made airy by folding in stiffly beaten egg whites. It is then poured into ramekins and placed in the oven to bake. So far, so normal.
The difference, however, is that the béchamel base is slightly firmer than in a normal soufflé, so that it can better withstand being turned out of the mold and left to stand for several hours. Since the soufflé is turned out of the mold, it’s even more important than usual to make sure the dish is well greased with butter and dusted with flour.
When baked for the first time, double-baked soufflés rise and turn golden brown. Now they can be placed in the refrigerator for several hours or even overnight—this won’t harm them. The soufflés will deflate slightly, but that’s perfectly normal. As soon as they’re baked again, they’ll spring back to life.
Ingredients
20 g Butter
500 g Fresh Spinach, chopped
1 small chopped Onion
Salt and Pepper
¼ tsp Nutmeg
Paprika
80 g Butter
80 g Flour
350 ml Milk
160 g grated Gruyère Cheese
4 Egg yolk
4 Egg white
1 Pinch of Salt
500 ml Cream
Instructions
1
Step 1
Heat 20 g of butter in a shallow pan and sauté the onion. Add the spinach, season, and cook until it wilts. Drain in a colander, then, once it has cooled, squeeze out the excess liquid. Set aside
2
Step 2
In a saucepan, melt the 80 g of butter, then add the flour and stir with a whisk until it forms clumps.
3
Step 3
Slowly add the milk and continue stirring until all the clumps have dissolved and the mixture thickens.
4
Step 4
Add 80 g of the grated Gruyère and the spinach, season with nutmeg, pepper, and paprika, and mix well. Then remove from the heat. Let cool slightly.
5
Step 5
Now stir in the egg yolks one at a time.
6
Step 6
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Now carefully fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the béchamel mixture, then another third, and finally the last third.
7
Step 7
Generously butter the ramekins or muffin tins and dust with flour. Then divide the mixture among the ramekins.
8
Step 8
Place the ramekins in a baking dish, pour boiling water into the baking dish, and bake at 180°C for about 30 minutes. They should be golden brown and not wobble too much!
9
Step 9
Let cool for 10 minutes, then carefully loosen from the molds with a knife and place each soufflé into a slightly larger gratin dish. You can prepare them up to this point and store the soufflés, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
10
Step 10
To finish baking, bring the cream to a boil with the remaining Gruyère, pepper, and paprika, then pour it over the soufflés; if desired, sprinkle a little more grated cheese on top.
11
Step 11
Bake in the oven at 180°C for 20–25 minutes. Serve hot!
Notes
Here are more Soufflé Recipes!
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