Molten Chocolate Soufflé - milk

Method

• Preheat oven Heat oven to 375 °F / 191 °C. MAKE IN ADVANCE: If preparing the souffle base in advance to serve later, skip Steps 1 and 2, proceed through Step 8, and then reserve the base in the refrigerator. When you're ready to bake and serve immediately, start with Steps 1 and 2, and then proceed from Step 9 using the reserved base.
• Prepare ramekins a/n Butter a/n Sugar, granulated Butter each ramekin thoroughly, being careful not to miss any spots. (Unbuttered spots will cause your souffle to stick.) Add a small amount of sugar to one of the ramekins. On its side over another ramekin, rotate to allow the sugar to adhere to all the buttered surfaces. Catch excess sugar with the other ramekin. Repeat until all your molds are coated evenly with sugar. Reserve the excess sugar and use in Step 4.
• Combine flour, butter, and salt 34 g Bread flour 34 g Butter 7 g Salt Combine ingredients with your hands until they form together, leaving no dry flour. Tip: The salt levels in this souffle were pushed to the limits, bringing out the richness as well as the flavors in the chocolate. If you are one who tends to shy away from salty caramels or other salty sweets we recommend reducing the salt level down to 3 g.
• Heat milk and sugar 188 g Milk 75 g Sugar In a small pot, combine ingredients and bring to a boil on medium heat.
• Add flour mixture to pot Add the flour and butter mixture to the hot milk and whisk until dissolved. Cook for 4 minutes on low heat until the mixture has a thick, gummy texture.
• Add chocolate 135 g Dark chocolate 70% Add chocolate and stir until melted and well-incorporated.
• Add egg yolk 68 g Egg yolk Add egg yolk to chocolate base and whisk until well-incorporated.
• Reserve if desired At this point, the base for the souffle is done. It will hold in the refrigerator for up to a week. When you're ready to bake and serve them immediately, proceed to Step 9.
• Whip egg whites 112 g Egg white 23 g Sugar, granulated Using a whisk, whip egg whites into a light foam. Add sugar and continue to whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form.
• Fold meringue into souffle base Gently fold meringue into souffle base in three stages.
• Fill ramekins Fill souffle molds to the very top. Use the back of a knife to remove excess batter from the rim, creating a level surface. Use a dry paper towel to wipe any excess batter off the side.
• Bake Place the ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake for 17 minutes. NOTE: Baking for 17 minutes will yield a souffle with a custardy texture and a molten center. Increase time to 18-19 minutes for a fully-set souffle with a springy texture.
• Garnish a/n Powdered sugar Using a small sieve, dust powdered sugar over the top and serve immediately. (Finished souffles will quickly crack and deflate if not served immediately.) Serve as is, or split open and fill with creme anglaise.