The Complete Guide to Baking at Altitude | Easy Baking Tips and Recipes: Cookies, Breads & Pastries: Food Network
By Jessie Sheehan for Food Network Kitchen
Jessie Sheehan is a baker and cookbook author.
High-altitude grill really has a bad rap – and we’ll admit: some of it is justified. What’s more frustrating than spending time and energy whipping up something delicious, only to find that, despite your best efforts, your cake falls AND dries, your cake pops? AND chewy, crispy dough, your bread expands. and fall and your muffins taste bitter. Just writing this makes us feel sad. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to guide you to great heights of success.
However, before giving tips and tweaks, you might consider trying out the recipe as written. We know this seems a bit wasteful and potentially messy if things go as you expect (e.g. bad). But there is always the possibility that the formula will work. For example, there is some disagreement over whether cookies need adjustment when baking in the mountains. Some say yes and some say no. Same goes for pie dough, muffins and tea sandwiches – some say they really won’t be affected at all, and others say the opposite. In short, the beauty of trying out the formula as written, is that even if things don’t go well, you’ll be able to solve the problem correctly the next time. Making a bunch of changes before you start, hoping that one of them will help with an issue you haven’t yet identified, is a bit of a pain.
Finally, whether you wait to adjust until you’ve done the recipe once or make an adjustment at the start, remember that none of the adjustments we’ll recommend will work for every recipe, 100% of the time. Some may work at some altitudes and not at others; or for one house on your block, and not for another. Patience and flexibility are key, as is a taste for adventure (and goodies).
How does altitude affect baking?
Baking is affected by altitude because the air pressure drops as you rise above sea level, and the pressure drop affects baking in some pretty profound ways. First of all, the liquid evaporates faster due to the low pressure, causing the baked goods to dry out. The lower pressure also causes the liquid to boil at a lower temperature than sea level, causing the pies to rise too quickly – often before they’re set up properly – and then collapse. Finally, the gases produced by leavening agents (such as baking powder and soda) expand and react faster at lower pressure, creating tunnels and holes in the dough and dough, resulting in baked goods. lack of structure and stability.
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How should I adjust a recipe when baking at high altitude?
While we do believe you need to try the recipe once as written before modifying it for altitude, here are some general adjustments worth considering when “baking in the mountains,” as they say (or maybe we just said that?!).
1) First, you may want to increase the oven temperature by 25% and reduce the baking time by 5 to 6 minutes every 30 minutes of the “sea level” baking time. A shorter stay in a hotter oven prevents the baked product from losing moisture and rising up too quickly (and the gas has less time to build up waste in the structure of the baked product).
2) Second, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe by 1 to 3 tablespoons per cup. Sugar becomes concentrated due to the inevitable evaporation of the liquid, and such a thickening can cause your baking to go flat.
3) Because of how quickly the gas from the leavening agents expands, you can reduce the amount of baking powder or baking soda in your recipe by 15 to 25%.
4) Increase the liquid in your recipe (since some will inevitably evaporate) by adding another egg or using an extra large one; or add 3 to 4 tablespoons of water to each cup of flour.
5) Reduce the fat in your recipe as it inadvertently weakens the structure of your baked good. Because fat breaks down gluten, making baked goods soft, it can be detrimental to your high-altitude baking, contributing to flat cakes or cookies.
6) Substitute high protein flour for all-purpose as it will give more structure to your baking – we hope we made it clear – you want/need when baking at high!
3) Because of how quickly the gas from the leavening agents expands, you can reduce the amount of baking powder or baking soda in your recipe by 15 to 25%.
How do I adjust a cake recipe for elevation?
Using the adjustments suggested above, when baking at high, consider adding an egg to increase the fluidity in your recipe, as well as reduce the amount of sugar to avoid a dent in the center. You can also use flour in place of all-purpose flour to reduce yeast and fat. To prevent the cake from drying out, increase the oven temperature, reduce the baking time, and add a little more liquid (about 1 to 2 tablespoons at 3000 feet and add 1½ teaspoons for each additional 1000 feet). And if your cake is overflowing in the oven, try reducing the amount of yeast, increasing the oven temperature and reducing the baking time the next time you spin the recipe.
How to Adjust Cookie Formula for Elevation?
Many people believe that cookie recipes do not need to be adjusted. But if you don’t get the results you want after trying the recipe, you can add a little more liquid and increase the oven temperature, especially if your cookies are dry. You can also reduce the yeast if they fall flat after baking. And to give them structure (if they’re having trouble “holding it together”), try reducing the fat or sugar and adding a bit of flour or substituting bread flour for all-purpose purposes.
How do I adjust the cake batter recipe for the height?
In general, pie recipes can translate well from sea level to the mountains. But if you notice that your crust seems more crispy after baking, you can try adding a little more water and making the dough a little wetter.
How do I adjust a bread recipe for elevation?
When baking bread at high altitude, your rise time will be much shorter than when baking at sea level. Consider reducing the amount of yeast in the recipe by about 25% and refrigerate the dough during first rise, to slow the yeast action and allow the bread’s flavor to develop.
How do I adjust my muffin and quick bread recipes for elevation?
Like cookie dough and cookie dough, many people believe that any adjustments are needed when baking muffins or quick breads at high altitude. But if your muffins or bread have a slightly bitter or alkaline taste, consider reducing the amount of yeast in the recipe a bit.
