| |
| |
|
Cooking Tips Information |
|
|
|
High Altitude Baking - A Cooks Guide
High altitude baking can be a real adventure for the cook, with a number of challenges to keep you on your toes. The higher you are in elevation, the less pressure there will be. How does this affect your baking creations? Low air pressure creates increased evaporation of liquids during the baking process and this can cause your cakes to fall. Baking at high altitudes means a few more adjustments so that your baked goods will come out perfectly, ready to tempt the finest of taste buds. Start by following the high altitude recipes by the letter. For some bakers, this will work out fine. For others, changes will be necessary. Begin with making adjustments to your oven temperature by 15 - 25 degrees F. Next, adjust the ingredients in your recipe. For cakes that are supposed to rise, using either yeast or baking powder, you will need to make some changes. If you are using yeast during high altitude baking you will have to make sure that the dough rises slowly. For cakes using baking powder make certain not to over-beat the eggs. You will also have to decrease the amount of baking powder used. A decrease in atmospheric pressure will cause gases to expand easier. For your lovely meringue toppings, meringue (angel) pie shells, angel and sponge cakes, follow the following suggestions: Whip the egg whites to medium-soft peaks instead of stiff peaks. Add more stiffening with a bit more flour and a bit less sugar. Also, with your increase in oven temperature by 25 degrees F, the batter will have a better chance to set before the air bubbles or leavening gases have the chance to become too expansive. When preparing puddings and cream-pie fillings above 5,000 feet, using a double boiler will not provide you with the maximum gelatinization of starch. You can simply use direct heat rather than a double boiler. High altitude will affect the rising time of bread the most. At high altitudes, the rising period will be shortened. To maintain the development of a good flavor in your breads, you will need to preserve the longer rising period. Punch the bread dough down twice to give the time for the flavor to develop. Remember that flours tend to be drier and able to absorb more liquid in high, dry climates. Use less flour when bringing the dough to the proper consistency. You may want to experiment a bit with this for best results. When buying cake mixes, look for the high altitude baking instructions on the box. Your quick breads will vary from muffin-like to cake-like in structure. The cell structure of biscuits and muffin-like quick breads should be firm enough to withstand the increased internal pressure at high altitudes without the need of adjustment. Be cautious,though, as a bitter or alkaline flavor can result from inadequate neutralization of baking soda or powder. To avoid this, reduce the baking soda or powder slightly and this can often improve your results. The quick breads with a cake-like texture will be more delicately balanced and can often be improved at high altitudes when you follow the adjustment recommendations given for cakes. You can also take advantage of a variety of charts available for high altitude baking. These will come in handy and help you determine what adjustments to make according to how many feet above sea level you are. The higher the altitude the more adjustments are needed. The following guidelines may be used as a general rule of thumb. Remember to test each recipe, first, for best results: 3,000 to 4,500 feet: 5000 to 6000 feet: 6000 feet and above: Altitudes over 10000 feet: same as 6000 feet, but add an extra egg to recipe High altitude baking can be fun. As you experiment, you will come up with the formula that works for you at your level of elevation. You should begin with the suggested adjustments and then make minor tweaks here and there. Your good efforts will produce quality baked goods, sure to please even the gourmet in all of us. About the author:
MORE RESOURCES:
Cooking-Tips - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Peppercorns & Ways To Use Them New and exciting varieties of peppercorns are becoming available to chefs everywhere. Pre-ground pepper out of the tin no longer provides the complex flavors and versatility that great cooks everywhere are looking for. Foods That Freeze Well "Can I freeze it?" is a question often asked in our homes, and for good reason. Probably most of us, at some point or another, have attempted to freeze a particular food only to find out that it did not freeze well and either spoiled or became inedible. Christmas Cookie Decorating 101 Many bakers ask for tips and instructions on decorating cookies. Well that's a tall order because there are as many ways to decorate cookies as there are cookies! Here are a few guidelines for novices and experienced bakers alike to help you generate your own ideas for cooking decorating. 10 Easy Ways To Protect Your Family From Food Poisoning Do you realize the many ways that bacteria can contaminate the food YOUR FAMILY eats? Do you know how to tell if your food is THOROUGHLY cooked to keep YOUR family safe from Food Poisoning? Do you know what to do if you or SOMEONE YOU LOVE gets Food Poisoning?When it comes to food preparation and storage, "Common Practices" could be POISONING your family!Here's how to avoid the problem entirely:1. Plan For SafetyMake sure you have the right equipment, including cutting boards, utensils, food thermometers, cookware, shallow containers for storage, soap, and paper towels. Barbequing, a Fun and Convenient Way to Make Dinner "There's nothing more enjoyable than having friends and family gathered around amidst the wonderful smells of charcoal-grilled prawns, vegetables and selected favorites. Barbecuing is one of those time- honored rituals that go hand in hand with summertime. Buying, Storing, and Preparing Apricots When buying apricots, always look for those that are firm, plump orange fruit that gives slightly when you press with your thumb. Bruised apricots should be avoided. Better Baking Technique: Is it Done Yet? Are my breads, cookies, or cakes baked and ready to come out of the oven yet?The ability to tell when products are baked seems to cause more consternation than almost any other phase of baking. And of course, it is important. Unique Cake Decorating With Flowers Flowers as a Cake Decoration, unique and easy to place on every one of your cake creations.Flowers, both real and artificial are relatively simple to use. Caring For Your Wooden Cutting Board Researchers have found that bacteria have a tougher time surviving on wood cutting boards. However, plastic cutting boards are less porous than wood, making it less likely to harbor bacteria over a long period of time, but only if it is immediately cleaned. Baking Perfect Breads, Cookies, and Desserts We're all looking for that perfect pie, or cookies, or loaf of bread. It doesn't always happen. Wok this Way! (Part 1 of 5) IntroductionWoks have been synonymous with Chinese cooking since the emergence of Chinese cuisine. They have been used for some 3000 years in China for a variety of cooking methods, including stir frying, boiling, and steaming. 10 Convenient Ways To Eliminate Food Poisoning With Your Microwave Microwave ovens can play an important role at mealtime, but special care must be taken when cooking or reheating meat, poultry, fish, and eggs to make sure they are prepared safely. Microwave ovens can cook unevenly and leave "cold spots," where harmful bacteria can survive. Gourmet Sauces, Rubs and Marinades - Give Your BBQ a Gourmet Kick Many individuals agree that the sauce on barbecued meat is like the icing on a cake. Gourmet barbecue sauces, rubs and marinades are commonly served on (or on the side of) the finished dish. Make-up or Mixing Methods for Muffins When muffins aren't perfect, the first reaction is to change the ingredients in the recipe. Rather than changing the recipe, try a different mixing method. Rice Cookers - Perfect Rice Every Time Love fluffy cooked rice but dislike the preparation time and clean up? Then rice cookers maybe just what you need. Today's rice cooker is a thrifty time saving device for anyone's kitchen. Kid Birthday Cake Idea Collection - Cake Decorating Without Fear Our kid birthday cake idea collection makes cake decorating fun and fearless. You don't have to be a pastry chef to create a professional quality cake for your child's birthday or other special event. Understanding Baking: How Yeast Works Did you ever wonder why flour tastes like sawdust but a French or Italian bread made with that same flour and little else has a pleasant, sweet taste?Bread wouldn't be bread without yeast and yeast can't work without sugars. Yeast is alive-living organisms-and living organisms need food for fuel, in this case, simple sugars. Solving The 7 Most Common Whole Wheat Bread Baking Mistakes Let's face it EVERY cook makes mistakes (yes, even us professional bakers make boo boo's).I'm going to list here, the 7 most common whole wheat bread baking mistakes that you're probably making, or might make if you're not forewarned, and what you can do about them. Cooking -- What You Need To Know From ancient times till the nineteenth century cooking was basically a survival skill. The nineteenth century marked the division of cooking into two main categories. Cooking Lobster at Home Lobster has always be one of those extravagant meals which few people ever try because of the high cost. With restaurants paying thirty dollars a pound, by the time they put their markup on it, you're easily paying sixty dollars for a ten ounce tail.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |