High altitude baking plus#

Make sure your bowl has plenty of room for the dough to rise in. Yeast Breads: Decrease the amount of yeast in the recipe by 25%, and make water/flour adjustments as necessary to get a dough with the correct texture. Quick Breads: Use the guidelines above to make adjustments.

If only part of an egg is needed, use the whites.Ĭrackers and Pie Crusts: Won’t be dramatically affected, but will usually need extra water to help the dough to form.įried Doughs: Lower the frying temperature by 3 degrees per 1,000 feet, and increase cooking times. High Altitude Baking Adjustments – Cakes, Breads, and MoreĬakes: Use extra eggs to increase liquids.

For each additional 1,500 feet, add one more tablespoon. You can also use extra eggs as part of this liquid, depending on the recipe.Īt 3,500 feet, add 1 more tablespoon per recipe. Increase by 1 to 2 tablespoons at 3,000 feet, increase by 1 1/2 teaspoons for each additional 1,000 feet. Since leavening and evaporation proceed more quickly, the idea is to use a higher temperature to “set” the structure of baked goods before they overexpand and dry outĭecrease by 5-8 minutes per 30 minutes of baking timeīaking at higher temperatures means products are done sooner. Increase 15° to 25☏ use the lower increase when making chocolate or delicate cakes The table below gives guidelines about what adjustments to make for baking cookies at high-altitude: What to Change Experienced high-altitude bakers know to bake at slightly higher temperature, with a shortened baking time. The principle adjustments recommended for cookies baked at higher altitudes (generally considered to be above 3,000 feet) are to increase the water slightly, to help the dough come together, and to decrease the amount of chemical leavens (baking powder, baking soda) used. If it starts to foam and fizz immediately, it’s still fresh enough to use.Ĭheck your recipe FIRST before making high-altitude corrections!īecause cookies bake for a shorter amount of time than bread or cakes, and are relatively low in water and high in fat content, they’re much less susceptible to the vagaries of high-altitude baking. You can test it by stirring a half a teaspoon of into a cup of hot water. So if yours is older than that, get rid of it and buy a fresh batch. Baking powder will lose it’s power fairly quickly – only about 9 to 12 months.

1/4 tsp of baking soda per 1 cup of flourĪnother tip – test your baking powder before dumping it in your batter.1 tsp of baking powder per 1 cup of flour.At high-altitude, this will make-or-break your cake! One word of caution: Many, MANY scratch cake recipes are way too over-leavened in the first place.

High altitude baking plus#

When baking a recipe that calls for both baking powder and baking soda plus an acidic ingredient, like buttermilk or sour cream, try switching to all baking powder and sweet milk. Use the chart below to adjust the leavening in your recipe. As altitude increases, leavening must decrease drastically. High Altitude Baking Adjustments – Leavening Additional flour helps to strengthen the structure of baked goods. In some recipes, a flour with a higher protein content may yield better results. For every 1,500 beyond that, add another tablespoon. 1 egg is about 3 tablespoons – an egg white is 2 tablespoons.Įxtra liquid keeps products from drying out at higher temperatures and evaporation rates.Īdd 1 tablespoon of flour at 3,500 ft. “Liquid” can include eggs (highly recommended), water or milk. Increase liquid by 2 tablespoons at 3,000 ft., and an additional 1 1/2 teaspoons for every 1,000 ft. Increased evaporation also increases concentration of sugar, which can weaken the structure of your baked goods. Since leavening and evaporation proceed more quickly, the idea is to use a higher temperature to set the structure of baked goods before they over-expand and dry out.Ĭut 5 to 8 minutes for every 30 minutes of baking time in the original recipe.īaking at higher temperatures means products are set sooner.Ĭut sugar by 1 tablespoon per cup in the original recipe. Increase by 15☏ for chocolate or angel food and lighter cakes. High Altitude Baking Adjustments for your scratch recipes. There are six factors you’ll need to correct in adjusting a cake recipe for high altitude: Oven Temp, Baking Time, Sugar, Liquid, Flour and Leavening.įor a cake mix, the rule of thumb is Add one tablespoon of flour at 3,500 ft., then another tablespoon for every 1,500 beyond that. Once you know your elevation, here’s a quick corrections chart to adjusting your cakes for high-altitude baking. No login required – just enter your address and it tells you your elevation in feet or meters. First, find out the exact altitude of your location by checking your address with.