I love making this recipe . . . for the real pastry buffs who appreciate the delicate nature of its construction.
SKILL LEVEL Advanced
TIME 1 hour 30 minutes one day before; 1 hour the day of
YIELD 6 soufflés
TIMELINE
ONE DAY BEFORE Make ganache, dough, and soufflé
THE DAY OF Assemble, proof, and bake
SPECIAL TOOLS
Instant-read thermometer
Stand mixer with dough hook and whisk attachments
Siphon with carbon charger
6 rectangular ring molds 2 1/2 by 1 3/4 by 1 3/4 inches (6.5 by 4.5 by 4.5 cm)
INGREDIENTS
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
Heavy cream |
1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons |
100 grams |
Dark chocolate (70% cocoa content), finely chopped |
1/2 cup |
90 grams |
Unsalted butter (84% butterfat) |
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon |
30 grams |
ORANGE BLOSSOM BRIOCHE
Bread flour |
2 cups |
280 grams |
Kosher salt |
1 tablespoon |
6 grams |
Granulated sugar |
1/3 cup |
51 grams |
Instant yeast (preferably SAF Gold Label)1 |
2 teaspoons |
5 grams |
4 each |
4 each (200 grams) |
|
Whole milk |
1 tablespoon |
15 grams |
Unsalted butter (84% butterfat), cold, cut in small dice |
13 tablespoons |
183 grams |
Orange oil |
1/2 teaspoon |
1 gram |
Grated orange zest |
1 orange |
1 orange |
Orange blossom water |
1 teaspoon |
5 grams |
Nonstick cooking spray |
as needed |
as needed |
All-purpose flour (for dusting) |
as needed |
as needed |
CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ
Dark chocolate (70% cocoa content), finely chopped |
1/2 cup |
98 grams |
Unsalted butter (84% butterfat) |
6 1/2 tablespoons |
91 grams |
Granulated sugar |
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons |
140 grams |
All-purpose flour |
1/3 cup |
30 grams |
Baking powder |
2 1/2 tablespoons |
10 grams |
Whole eggs (large) |
3 each |
3 each (150 grams) |
ONE DAY BEFORE
MAKE GANACHE
1. Bring the cream to a boil in a medium pot over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
2. Place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream over it. Let stand for 30 seconds.
3. Whisk the chocolate and hot cream until smooth. Set aside to cool. When the ganache reaches 122°F (50°C), whisk in the butter until fully blended.2
4. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the ganache, to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for 2 hours to set.
MAKE DOUGH
1. Combine the bread flour, salt, sugar, yeast, and eggs in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed until the dough forms a ball. Slowly pour in the milk and mix on low until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high for 6 to 8 minutes more to develop the gluten, which will help the dough hold its structure. It should pull off the sides of the bowl cleanly when it’s ready. Check the dough using the “windowpane test” (see page 151).
2. When the dough has reached full gluten development, add the butter, keeping the mixer on medium-high speed. Mix just until the butter is incorporated. Add the orange oil, orange zest, and orange blossom water and mix until fully incorporated. The finished dough should be smooth, shiny, and sticky.
3. Lightly grease a medium bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the dough, to prevent a skin from forming. Proof the dough at room temperature (no warmer than 75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
4. Remove the plastic wrap and punch down the dough by folding the edges into the center, releasing as much of the gas as possible. Cover the dough again with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface. Refrigerate overnight to relax the gluten.
MAKE SOUFFLÉ
1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a small bowl on high power in 20-second intervals in the microwave, stirring with a heatproof spatula between intervals, until smooth.
2. Combine the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and eggs in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Mix on low speed for a few minutes until just incorporated.
3. With the mixer on low speed, stream in the melted chocolate and butter. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Whip on high speed for 3 minutes, until the batter is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the batter and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. While the soufflé batter is chilling, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) for conventional or 350°F (175°C) for convection.
5. Using a rubber spatula, place 2 large scoops of soufflé batter in a siphon, so that it is half full.
6. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and arrange the rectangular ring molds about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Grease the insides of the molds with nonstick spray. Pipe soufflé batter into the molds until they are about halfway full. Add a dollop of chocolate ganache with a spoon to the center of each mold. Cover with soufflé batter to fill. Bake for 4 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for 4 minutes more.
7. When fully baked, place the soufflés, still in the molds, in the freezer to set overnight.
THE DAY OF
ASSEMBLE AND PROOF
1. Pull one-third of the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a rectangle measuring 20 by 10 inches (50 by 25 cm). Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and refrigerate. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to relax the gluten.
2. Using a chef’s knife, cut the brioche dough into 6 by 3–inch (15 by 8 cm) strips. Return the cut dough to the refrigerator until needed.
3. Run a thin-bladed knife around the inside of the ring molds and lift off the mold to unmold the chocolate soufflés. Place a soufflé in the center of a rectangle of brioche and wrap the brioche around the soufflé as tightly as possible. Fold and pinch the ends of the brioche together to cover the top and bottom of the soufflé. Cut off any excess dough with a paring knife. Repeat until all the remaining soufflés are wrapped. 3
4. Wash and dry the ring molds. Lightly grease the inside of the molds with nonstick spray. Place each wrapped soufflé inside of a mold (it will be a very tight fit). Transfer the molds to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
5. Lightly lay a piece of plastic wrap over the magic soufflés. Proof them at room temperature until they reach the top of the mold, about 2 hours.
6. Return the magic soufflés to the freezer to chill for 1 hour.
BAKE
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) for conventional or 375°F (190°C) for convection.
2. Remove the plastic wrap and lay a piece of parchment paper on top of the soufflés, followed by a second sheet pan. This helps compress them while they bake. If you do not have a second sheet pan, substitute something of equal weight—just make sure the object has a flat bottom.
3. Bake the soufflés on the center rack for 5 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for 5 minutes more or until they are golden brown. 4 Remove from the oven and unmold immediately. They are unlikely to stick.
4. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
1. If you add the butter while the ganache is still hot, the butter will melt and the ganache will have a grainy consistency when it sets.
2. This recipe yields more brioche than needed. Bake the extra dough and enjoy a brioche roll for breakfast.
3. When covering the soufflé with the brioche dough, just think of it as a present you’re wrapping. You don’t want people to see what is inside, so make sure the soufflé is completely covered.
4. If you’re using a conventional oven, you will have to turn the soufflés over after the first 5 minutes so that the bottom is facing up. With conventional ovens the heat comes only from the bottom, which means the bottom will bake much more quickly than the top.
SERVING INSTRUCTIONS Serve within 15 minutes of baking to ensure the center is still molten.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS This does not store well, unfortunately, as the molten center will dry out over time. The leftover dough can be baked for breakfast.