By Jessie Sheehan for Food Network Kitchen
Jessie Sheehan is a baker and cookbook author.
High-altitude roasting does have a bad rap — let’s admit it: some of it is justified. There is nothing more frustrating than spending time and effort making something delicious, only to find that despite your best efforts, your cakes fall off and are dry, your cookies are spread and hard, your The pie dough is crunchy, your loaf roses fall, and your muffins are bitter. It makes us sad to write here. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to your success at high altitudes.
However, before you try to offer tips and tweaks, you might want to consider trying the recipe as written. We know that this can seem a bit wasteful and can be confusing if things are going the way you expect (ie: bad). But there’s always a chance this recipe will work. For example, there is some disagreement about whether cookies need to be adjusted when baking in the mountains. Some say yes, some say no. The same goes for pie dough, muffins and tea bread – some say they really don’t suffer that much, while others say the opposite. In short, the beauty of trying the recipe as written is that even if things don’t go well, you can fix the problem exactly the next time. It’s a bit of a hassle to make a whole bunch of changes before you start, hoping one of them will fix a problem you haven’t identified yet.
Finally, whether you wait until you make a recipe once and then make adjustments, or make adjustments in the first place, keep in mind that any adjustments we suggest won’t work 100% of the time for every recipe. Some people may work at some altitudes and not others; or one house on your block, but not another. Patience and flexibility are key, as is a taste for adventure (and great food).
How does high altitude affect baking?
Roasting can be affected by high altitude because the higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure, and the reduction in pressure can affect roasting in some very profound ways. First, because of the low pressure, the liquid evaporates faster, causing the baked goods to dry out. The lower pressure also causes liquids to boil at temperatures below sea level, causing baked goods to rise too quickly — often before they set properly — and then collapse. Finally, the gases created by leavening agents (like baking powder and soda water) expand and react faster at lower pressures, creating tunnels and holes in the batter and dough, resulting in a lack of structure and stability in baked goods.
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How do I adjust the recipe when baking at high altitudes?
While we really believe that you need to try the recipe as written once before modifying it for high altitude, as they say (or did we just say that?!), here are some worthwhile ones when “baking in the mountains” General adjustments to consider.
1) First, you may want to increase the oven temperature by 25% and reduce the “sea level” bake time by 5 to 6 minutes for every 30 minutes. Less time spent in a hotter oven prevents baked goods from losing moisture and rising too quickly (and the gas has less time wasted on the structure of the baked goods).
2) Second, you may want to reduce the sugar in the recipe by 1 to 3 tablespoons per cup. As the liquid inevitably evaporates, the sugar becomes concentrated, and this concentration can cause your baked goods to collapse.
3) You may need to reduce the baking powder or baking soda in your recipe by 15% to 25% due to how fast the gas from the leavening agent expands.
4) Increase the liquid in the recipe by adding another egg or using extra large eggs (as some of them will inevitably evaporate); or add 3 to 4 tablespoons of water per cup of flour.
5) Reduce fat in recipes as it can inadvertently weaken the structure of baked goods. Because fat breaks down gluten and softens baked goods, it can be detrimental to your high-altitude baking efforts, causing cakes or cookies to collapse.
6) Substitute high protein flour for all purpose flour as it provides more structure to your baked goods – we hope we’ve made it clear – that you want/need to bake at high altitude!
3) You may need to reduce the baking powder or baking soda in your recipe by 15% to 25% due to how fast the gas from the leavening agent expands.
How to adjust cake recipes for high altitude?
Using the suggested adjustments above, when baking cakes at high altitudes, consider adding an extra egg to increase the liquid in the recipe, as well as reducing the sugar to avoid a sunken center of the cake. You can also use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour to reduce leavening and fat. To prevent the cake from drying out, increase the oven temperature, reduce the bake time and add a little extra liquid (about 1 to 2 tablespoons at 3000 feet, and an additional 1.5 teaspoons for every 1000 feet of height). If your cake overflows in the oven, try reducing the rise, raising the oven temperature, and reducing the baking time the next time you try the recipe.
How do I adjust the cookie recipe for high altitudes?
Many people think that cookie recipes don’t need tweaking. However, if you don’t get the results you want after trying a recipe, you can add a little liquid and raise the oven temperature, especially if your cookies are drying out. You can also reduce fermentation if they collapse after baking. And to give them structure (if they’re having trouble “keeping together”) try reducing the fat or sugar and adding a little flour or substituting bread flour for all purpose.
How to adjust pie dough recipe for high altitude?
Generally, pie dough recipes work well from sea level to mountains. But if you find your crust looks extra crispy after baking, you can try adding a little water and making a slightly moister dough.
How to adjust bread recipe for high altitude?
When baking bread at high altitudes, your ascent time will be much shorter than at sea level. Consider reducing the amount of yeast in the recipe by about 25% and refrigerating the dough when it first rises to slow the action of the yeast and allow the flavor of the bread to develop.
How to adapt muffin and quick bread recipes for high altitudes?
Like pie dough and cookies, many people believe that baking muffins or quick breads at high altitudes requires little adjustment. However, if your muffins or breads have a slightly bitter or alkaline taste, consider reducing the leavening amount in the recipe slightly.
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