Soufflé Blueberry Dutch Baby
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Eggs, milk, flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla mixed into a batter. Baked in a hot cast-iron skillet with butter until puffed and golden. Finished with powdered sugar and blueberry compote. Adjusted flour by small margin, swapped vanilla for almond extract to add a nutty background. Cook time stretched to 16 minutes to catch perfect rise. Watch for color and puff rather than clock. Butter melt must sizzle on contact; essential. Serve immediately; deflates fast. Easy to substitute milk with oat milk, keep batter smooth but watch moisture balance. Can use maple syrup instead of sugar for depth. Great for weekend brunch or simple dessert moments.
Prep:
16 min
Cook:
16 min
Total:
32 min
Servings:
4 servings
#brunch
#French-American
#baking
#blueberry
#skillet
#soufflé
#dessert
Starts as basic batter, eggs, flour, milk. But heat, technique twist it into a puffy crater of textured joy. Not like flat pancake. It screams bakery oven smell right in your kitchen. Small shifts change everything: I slapped maple syrup for sugar once, deeper flavor hit. Almond extract cracked open layers where vanilla felt tame. Butter’s sound, sight tell story—melting starts whisper, then roar in skillet. Oven’s hot mouth breath pushes sides to rise large, golden, slightly cracked like a floral bloom. Every batch taught me patience, watching transformation, not clock. Also learned: cool pan kill puff dead, must be screaming. Can’t rush this, no shortcuts on timing either. Wait for the puff’s call. Then dust rapidly. Then dive in. Life lesson in batter form.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 130 ml (just over ½ cup) whole milk or oat milk
- 130 ml (just over ½ cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 14 ml (about 1 tablespoon) pure maple syrup or sugar
- 1 ml (¼ teaspoon) fine sea salt
- 1 ml (¼ teaspoon) almond extract instead of vanilla
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar to dust, as preferred
- Blueberry compote or fresh blueberries for topping
About the ingredients
Eggs should be room temp to blend evenly and catch air better during baking; cold eggs dull rise. Flour substituted by whole wheat pastry flour gives nuttiness but heavier texture—adjust liquid slightly if needed. Maple syrup swap adds moisture; reduce milk by 5 ml if batter gets too loose. Almond extract—stronger than vanilla—can overpower if increased; a little goes a long way here. Butter clarity matters—salted adds dimension but can salt batter unevenly; unsalted preferred for control. Blueberry compote—store-bought works but homemade with fresh berries and slight lemon zest adds brightness and counterbalances batter’s sweetness. Powdered sugar can be regular or superfine; dust right before serving as it disappears into warmth quickly. For lactose intolerant, oat milk or almond milk stands in, but note flavor and texture shifts accordingly.
Method
- Preheat oven to 230°C (446 °F); place a 23 cm cast-iron skillet on middle rack to get screaming hot. This preheating step is non-negotiable. Sizzle butter test is your gold standard for readiness.
- In blender or whisk vigorously, combine eggs, milk, flour, maple syrup, salt, and almond extract until batter is silky smooth. No lumps; a few seconds more mixing means better puff. Set aside briefly.
- Remove skillet carefully when oven and pan screaming hot. Drop butter in; swirl immediately to coat bottom and sides; butter should foam and make crackling sounds, almost smoking. Pour in batter fast to keep heat.
- Return skillet to oven. Bake about 16 minutes but watch carefully. Look for risen edges, puffed like a pillow, deeply golden. Middle should be set but slightly jiggly, not liquid. Avoid opening oven too soon or puff falls.
- When done, remove gently. Dust with powdered sugar heavily while hot, add blueberry compote or fresh berries. Eat now or puff shrinks. Texture contrast: crispy edges, custardy center, the tart burst of blueberry dialogues with nutty almond notes.
- If no cast iron, use heavy ovenproof skillet but watch for uneven browning. Too cool pan ruins lift. Too much butter pools and sogs batter. Swap blueberries with raspberries or cherries if creative mood strikes.
Cooking tips
Position skillet in oven early, don’t skip preheat—hot pan is everything for that crispy base and puff. Mixing batter smooth avoids lumps that kill rise spots. Use a blender or whisk—and no overmixing; just until smooth. Butter sizzling correctly means skillet is hot enough—puddle and swirl immediately to spread, or butter burns. Pour batter swiftly after melting butter; delay cools pan and dulls oven burst. Oven must not be opened during first 12-14 minutes; premature peek makes batter collapse. Look for edges lifted, puff golden deep shade, jiggle in center but no wetness. Serve immediately piping hot—once cooled, puff deflates fast and texture suffers. Leftovers reheat in toaster oven; crisp restores somewhat but won’t puff again. If smoke appears, turn oven down slightly next time.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Cast iron skillet must be screaming hot. Butter sizzle test is everything before pouring batter. Butter should foam and crackle; no burnout or cool pans or puff flops. Watch for quick browning but not burning edges. Timing isn’t fixed; watch color and jiggle center - puff pops open when done.
- 💡 Use almond extract sparingly. Stronger than vanilla, too much kills balance fast. One quarter teaspoon enough to give nutty background, not sharp scent. Vanilla replacement tweaks flavor. If swapping flour varieties, tweak liquids; whole wheat pastry flour heavier, needs adjusting or batter slackens.
- 💡 Keep batter lump free. Blend or whisk fast, few seconds more means air trapped. Cold eggs dull lift drastically; room temperature eggs trap bubbles better. Maple syrup adds moisture, reduce milk slightly to compensate. Switch sugar types wisely—liquid vs granulated affects batter consistency.
- 💡 Don’t open oven until about 12 minutes or puff collapse starts. Early peek kills rise. Use visual clues: edges risen, golden brown, center slight jiggle like soft gel. Serve piping hot; puff shrinks fast once cooled. Leftovers reheat in toaster oven to regain crisp; won’t puff again, texture shifts.
- 💡 Blueberry compote or fresh berries both work; compote adds moisture and brightness but syrupiness can wet edges. Fresh berries offer burst crunch; swapping berries different but keep balance. Sprinkle powdered sugar right before serving; sugar disappears fast into heat. Butter choice matters; salted adds uneven salt pockets, unsalted better control.
Common questions
Can I use another milk type?
Oat or almond milk swap works but changes batter texture. Moisture shifts; watch batter thickness. Slightly thinner batter may need less liquid. Flavor alters too. Dairy non-dairy both fine but results differ.
My puff collapsed quickly, why?
Too early oven peek biggest culprit. Also cold eggs cuts rise. Pan not hot enough, butter not sizzling on contact. Batter lumps interfere with air bubbles. Wait for strong golden edges, jiggle center, no wetness.
What if no cast iron skillet?
Use heavy ovenproof skillet but heat uneven, browning off. Pan temp more crucial; butter may pool or burn. Puff lift weakens. Keep heat high but watch pan color. Bigger risk of soggy or dense texture without iron heat retention.
How to store leftovers?
Store room temp short term or fridge if longer. Reheat toaster oven best for crisp edges; microwave wrecks texture. Puff won’t rise again. Dust sugar after warming, berries fresh or reheated can get mushy, watch moisture.
