Tips For High-Altitude Baking & Cooking

I often receive special requests and am delighted to offer assistance to yet another faithful reader of this column, who, spending her first full year on her mountain-top paradise, has had difficulty with successful baking at high altitudes.

While many of us have just accepted or adapted to the changes needed for high-rising cakes, batters that don’t spill out into our clean ovens, or cookies that turn out soft and chewy like the recipe intended, (rather than hard and brittle), some of our new friends in the area want to know how to rise above the problem. The “text books” tell us that if we live at an altitude of 3,000 feet or higher, most likely, we have experienced these scenarios.

My research for the technical explanations tells me that at high altitudes, lower air pressure and generally lower humidity cause liquids to evaporate more rapidly. These conditions allow baked goods to rise more easily and lose moisture faster. Rapid rising can make gas bubbles coalesce, (merge into a single body or group) resulting in a course texture. In extreme cases, it can cause batters to overflow the pan because they have not set-up sufficiently. Rapid evaporation concentrates the sugars in a recipe and makes the product prone to sticking to the pan.

Cakes are most vulnerable because of their delicate balance of liquids and sugars though other recipes can be affected as well. There seems to be no set of rules to accommodate every situation but I have discovered a few guidelines that hopefully will help.

• Many recipes will work well at high altitudes so always try a new recipe “as is” before making adjustments. (Keep in mind that while a “fallen cake” doesn’t look very good, most of us know that it usually tastes good anyway, so all is not completely lost unless it was for a special occasion!)

• If a recipe does fail, try one or more of the following adjustments on your next attempt: Try reducing baking powder by 1/8 teaspoon per teaspoon at 3,000 ft., more at higher altitudes.

• For quick breads, reduce baking soda by ¼ of the total amount used. But if using acidic liquids such as buttermilk or citrus juice, use a minimum of ½ teaspoon for each cup of such liquid.

• Avoid excessive beating of ingredients, particularly eggs and egg whites.

• Reduce sugars by 1 tablespoon per cup at 3,000 feet, more at higher altitudes.

• Increase liquid content by 1 to 2 tablespoons at 3,000 feet, more for higher altitudes. For cookies, add ½ to 2 teaspoons per recipe. Consider using buttermilk or sour cream for additional moisture to increase richness and flavor.

• In recipes calling for egg whites, use cold eggs and do not beat them as long.

• You may need to reduce fat content by 2 to 4 tablespoons for quick breads. Use butter or high-quality vegetable shortening instead of margarine because most margarine has a high fat to water ratio.

• Increase flour by 1 to 4 tablespoons at 5,000 feet, more for higher altitudes. Dough used in cookie presses may actually require less flour. Avoid using self-rising flour.

• Use larger pans or increase number of pans and use less batter per pan.

• Always grease pans generously and dust them with flour or use a baking liner such as parchment paper.

• Increase temperatures anywhere from 15°F to 25°F. Delicate cakes and recipes with high chocolate content, as well as most cookie recipes, are an exception because of their tendency to burn.

• Due to the higher oven temperatures mentioned above, baking time should be reduced accordingly. There are no set rules for this, so monitor the progress of the baking process and resign yourself to a trial and error method.

• Use top-quality flour with high gluten content. For white flour, use unbleached flour that contains a minimum of 12 grams of protein per cup (check the nutritional label). Since whole grain flours typically contain less gluten, they should be used in combination with white flour.

• Additional liquids including eggs, pureed fruits, sour cream, cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables are sometimes needed for breads, particularly in areas of low humidity.

• Decreasing yeast by ¼ up to ½ when above 5,000 feet-will help, as will best quality instant active yeast. Avoid rapid-rising yeasts.

• For sweet breads, reduce the amount of sweeteners such as honey, syrups and molasses by ¼ to 1/3.

• Use all-purpose flour rather than cake flour; it provides more structure because of its higher gluten content.

• Bundt pans have more surface area for cake batter to cling to while baking.

• Fill pans ½ full instead of the usual 2/3.

• Run knife through batter if air pockets appear.

• Foam cakes use air as a leavening agent so be careful not to over-beat eggs or egg whites, creating a tough, dry cake. However, beating helps develop the gluten in the flour which contributes to the cake’s structure. You might have to practice on this one.

• Cookie recipes may not need much adjustment. Small reductions in dry ingredients or increases in liquids are usually all that’s needed. Other tips include substituting brown sugar for granulated and being careful not to over-measure dry ingredients or over-bake.

• A slight increase in liquids may be needed to prevent pie crust from drying. Use a minimal amount of flour for rolling out the dough.

So, next time you feel a need for that special “pie in the sky” - hopefully these tips will help!

Thanks for reading Lovin’ Spoonful!

References: Betty Crocker, Suite 101, Whole Food Markets

 

Don’t forget your copy of “Lovin’ Spoonful . . . Cooking With Family and Friends,” a compilation of nearly 400 mouth-watering recipes by Sherrie Norris. It is available at all locations of High Country Media – Boone, Banner Elk, West Jefferson, and at The Avery Journal in Newland, all Boone Drugs, Black Bear Books, Trailway Laundry, Wilcox Emporium,( top level, booth 312-W,) and beginning June 15 at Mast Store locations.