Did you know that altitude can make a difference when baking cookies, brownies, or cakes? Do you find your cookies and brownies crumbling and do you get upset seeing your cake refuse to rise? Let me share with you the reason for this:
It has a lot to do with the altitude.
Altitude can affect baked goods because of the associated decreased air pressure and humidity. When baking and dealing with altitude, sometimes it takes less time for baking powder to form bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. Eggs don’t always provide texture while baking. The key adjustment is to increase baking temperature by 15 to 25 degrees and decrease the Fahrenheit by 15 to 20 minutes from suggested baking time. Use my suggestion on altitude and your end result will be delicious treats and no crumbling with brownies or cookies. Here are five tips for baking at high altitude.
Tip 1: High Altitude Baking Requirements
- Decrease baking powder by 1/8 – 1/4 per teaspoon
- Decrease sugar by 0 – 2 TB per cup
- To balance liquid, increase liquid by 2 – 4 TB per cup
- To give extra strength, use cold water and large cold eggs
- To prevent too much air, don’t over beat eggs
Tip 2: Learn how to adjust flour
To adjust the flour at a high altitude, the bubbles from the liquid in batter normally expand more than it would normally do at a lower altitude. This causes the cake to sink in the middle. To prevent sinking in the center, increase the flour by two tablespoons. The increase in flour prevents the bubbles from expanding as much.
Tip 3: Understand the difference between baking powder and baking soda
Baking powder and baking soda are different when baking. Baking soda enables bake goods to spread out while baking powder helps it to rise.
Tip 4: Compensate for a lower boiling point
Baking at high altitude, water will boil at a lower temperature and it tends to evaporate faster which can result in the bake becoming too dry. To avoid dryness you will need to increase the liquid by two to four teaspoons.
Tip 5: Account for the changing seasons
When bakes at all seasons, temperature and moisture levels can affect how you make your favorite treats. During dry season it is best to use more yeast to ensure a good rise. In winter and fall season it is best to use less yeast as there is more moisture in the air.
Baking at a high altitudes means air pressure is lower and it takes food longer to complete. To get better results it is better to increase the temperature and bake time. High altitude takes moisture from the bake product which means liquids vanish faster. To prevent dryness you need to change the amount of flour, sugar and liquid. Also, gases spread-out more at higher altitudes; therefore the dough raises faster and so you need to decrease baking soda/baking powder to get a good result.
