baking at high altitude

8/3/2019 Baking at High Altitude

1/3

18

H i g h - A l t i t u d e B a k i n g

B A K I N G R E C I P E S D E V E L O P E D A T S E A L E V E L

often function differently at higher elevations.

Cakes and muffins may balloon up only to col-

lapse, cookies might turn out thin and crisp instead

of chewy, and breads can overproof and taste dry

or gummy. The scientific explanations for these

changes point to a reduction in atmospheric pres-

sure, meaning that there is less air pressure. Less

pressure means that water will boil at a lower

temperature (and therefore evaporate more readily

in the oven), and chemical leaveners or yeast willreact with more force. Whipped eggs will expand

more quickly, and sugar wi ll become more concen-

trated (due to rapid water loss). Also, the typical

mountain climate tends to be much drier, thus fur-

ther affecting the moisture content of baked goods.

Generally, it is accepted that these changes begin

to emerge at around 3500 feet and amplify as the

elevation increases. For this reason in particular, it

is diff icult to find any one set of guidelines or rules

to follow when baking at high altitudes.

To learn more about baking at high altitudes, we

packed our whisks and our recipes and headed to

Golden, Colorado, which has an elevation of 5700

feet. We chose a selection of recipes (all developed

in our Boston test kitchen, which is 50 feet above

sea level and also tends to be fairly humid for at

least half the year) and baked each according to the

directions in this book. We compared the results

with those obtained in Boston and then proceeded

to test ways to solve the issues plaguing these reci-

pes at high altitude. We based our tests on the most

frequent suggestions found in our research: turning

up the oven by 25 degrees, adding more liquid oreggs, underwhipping eggs, shortening rising times,

and reducing the amounts of sugar, baking powder,

baking soda, and yeast. Heres what we learned.

B A S I C P I E D O U G H (page 181): We blind

baked a pieshell so that we could analyze the results

without the obstruction of a filling. The results in

Colorado were almost identical to those in Boston,

the only difference being a drier dough, due to the

reduced moisture in the flour stored in the arid

mountain climate. We added an extra tablespoon

of water to make the dough a little more pliable

and easier to roll out.

B U T T E R M I L K B I S C U I T S (page 55):

Given the large amount of both baking powder

and baking soda in this recipe, we thought for

sure they would present challenges at high alti-

tude. Surprisingly, this was not the case. The only

difficulty we encountered was forming the doughinto a cohesive ball (again, because the f lour was so

dry), but this was quickly remedied by adding an

extra tablespoon of buttermilk.

C H E W Y O A T M E A L - R A I S I N C O O K I E S

(page 439): Much to our surprise, this was the

most challenging recipe we tested at high altitude.

Cookies that were moist and chewy at sea level

morphed into thin, hard wafers. They also spread

out too much, becoming burnt on the edges and

tooth-shatteringly hard when cool. The high

proportion of fat and sugar in this recipe was the

culprit: The butter melted faster than the cookies

could set because the water in it evaporated more

readily (butter contains about 18 percent water).

The loss of moisture caused the sugar to become

too concentrated (the cookies tasted too sweet)

and the cookies to become flat and hard. When

we tried decreasing the butter, the cookies looked

right but tasted and felt too dry. Decreasing the

sugar by a hefty 1 cup was more successful. Less

sugar kept the cookies from spreading too much

in the oven, and an extra egg yolk restored theiroriginal chew. Increasing the oven temperature 25

degrees moved the process along so the cookies

didnt dry out.

C O R N M U F F I N S (page 49): The muffins

rose high in the oven, only to have their tops collapse

and flatten. When we reduced the baking powder

and baking soda each by 1 teaspoon, these muffins

shaped up, but their flavor was too sweet and their


2/3

19

B A K I N G I N G R E D I E N T S A N D E Q U I P M E N T

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

texture too dry. Subtracting 1 tablespoon sugar and

increasing the milk in the recipe by 1 tablespoon

turned out to be the proper adjustments.

Y E L L O W L A Y E R C A K E (page 347):

Drastically different at high altitude, this cake was

unrecognizable with a pale, wet surface; sunken

center; sweet flavor; and dry, cottony texture. The

first change we made was to increase the oven

temperature by 25 degrees. We reduced the baking

powder by 1 teaspoonand the sugar by 1 table-spoons,but the cake still sank in the center and hada strange tangy f lavor. Because the batter appeared

wetter and shinier than before, we thought add-

ing1

cup more flour might achieve the properconsistency.It did, and the cake also had a sturdierstructure, compromised before by the high amount

of butter. Still dry and bland, it needed another egg

to finally become a moist, buttery, vanilla -f lavored

cake with a properly risen center.

F O O L P R O O F S P O N G E C A K E (page

357): This cake presented a different set of prob-

lems. At sea level, this recipe merits the name

foolproof because the two leavenersthe tra-

ditional eggs as well as baking powderensure

a proper rise. At high altitude, neither leavener

worked properly. On our first attempt, this cake

was sunken and dry, with a very large crumb.

Learning from previous tests, we reduced the

sugar by 1 tablespoon and the baking powder by

teaspoon and increased the oven temperature by

25 degrees. We quickly figured out that the bak-

ing time needed to be shortened by at least five

minutes. But these alterations were not enough to

improve this cake. We also needed to underwhip

both the whites and the whole eggs. We whipped

the whites to very soft peaks rather than soft peaksand reduced the whipping time for the whole eggs

by one minute. Underwhipping the eggs gave the

cake an even top and a moist, tender crumb.

A M E R I C A N S A N D W I C H B R E A D

(page 74): Our first loaves were dense and gummy

(not tender, as they should be), and the tops were

ripped and uneven (not smooth and round). We

reduced the amount of flour by 2 tablespoons,

decreased the rising time, and increased the oven

temperature by 25 degrees. The loaf still suffered

from the same ailments as before, and now the crust

was thick and dry. Because of the short and intenserising period, we decided to decrease the yeast by

teaspoon instead of decreasing the rising time and

revert to the original oven temperature. This ver-

sion baked perfectly in the right amount of time,

with a shapely, tender crust and delicate crumb.

W H A T W E L E A R N E D After much test-

ing and trial and error, we returned to Boston

with a newfound respect for bakers working at

high altitudes. We also brought back some general

conclusions. At high altitudes, the most sensitiverecipes are those that contain leavener and/or a

high proportion of sugar. Baked goods will rise

more quickly, often before their structure has time

to set, and then collapse, leaving the final texture

too dense. In delicate baked goods, such as cakes or

muffins, high amounts of fat will also compromise

the structure and stability of the f inal product. And

since water evaporates at a quicker rate, especially

when the climate is arid, this causes the final prod-

uct to be dry and overly concentrated in sugar

(which is why cookies become hard and brittle).

While many sources provide reliable-sounding

formulas for reducing or increasing specific

ingredients, we found this information was not

terribly helpful because each recipe has its own

set of problems. Unfortunately, it is impossible to

write hard-and-fast rules for adjusting each and

every recipe in this book. The process will require

some trial and error. Our recommendations? First

try each recipe as is and then make adjustments

where needed, according to the specific prob-

lems that arise. Note that simpler recipes, such

as biscuits, will be easier to adjust than complexrecipes with many variables to test, such as cakes.

The chart on the following page offers possible

solutions to problems you are likely to encounter

when baking at high altitudes. To read more about

high-altitude baking, visit our Bulletin Board at

www.cooksillustrated.com. There you can share

your experiences, post tips, and ask questions.

Choose the high-altitude baking forum on the

Cooks Chat page to continue the conversation.


3/3

20

T R O U B L E - S H O O T I N G B A K I N G R E C I P E S A T H I G H A L T I T U D E S

WHENYOUAREBAKING . . . POSSIBLEPROBLEM POSSIBLESOLUTION

Quick Breads, Muffins, Biscuits,

and Scones

Yeast Breads and Pastries

Pie Doughs, Tart Doughs, and

Non-Yeasted Pastries

Cakes

Cookies

Biscuit or scone dough is dry and hard

to knead

Quick breads or muffins collapse

and texture is dense

Quick breads or muffins are sweet

and dry

Dough is too dry

Top of loaf blows out and crumb isdense or gummy

Dough is dry and hard to roll out

Chemically leavened cakes sink in

the center

Egg-leavened cakes sink in the center

Cakes are dry and cottony

Cakes are greasy

Cookies spread too much in the oven

Cookies are too dry

Add an extra tablespoon or two

of liquid

Use less baking powder and/or

baking soda

Reduce the sugar by a tablespoon or

two and/or add an extra tablespoon

or two of liquid

Hold back a small portion of the flour

and add only as needed

Use less yeast or shorten the rising time

Add an extra tablespoon or two of ice

water

( Use less baking powder and/or

baking soda

( Increase the oven temperature and

decrease the baking time

( Underwhip the whites and/or

whole eggs



Use less sugar and/or add an extra egg

Add an extra tablespoon or two of flour

( Use less sugar



Add an extra egg or yolk

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

baking at high altitude

Documents