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Baking with Eggs
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Eggs are a vital ingredient in most baking recipes. Here we show you how to make the most of them.
The following tips for working with eggs will help you achieve professional results every time.
Egg Size and Color
Egg size is important in baking, because using smaller or larger eggs than specified may throw off the balance of the recipe. Most recipes call for large eggs which weigh about two ounces each and measure just under one-quarter cup. If you need to substitute a different size egg measure its volume to determine how many to use.
Eggs come in white and brown and except for the shell color there is absolutely no difference between them.
Freshness
Baked goods taste better when they are made with the freshest eggs. To ensure egg freshness, check the date on the package. Alternatively, do this simple water test. Place the egg in a saucepan full of water. The egg should sink to the bottom. If it bobs up to the surface, throw it out. Egg shells are porous and the older they are the more air they absorb thus making eggs buoyant.
Another test for freshness is to crack an egg onto a plate. The yolk should stand high and round and the white should be thick and not runny.
To best maintain freshness store eggs in the refrigerator in their original carton and use within one week.
Separating Eggs
You can do this easily by one of three ways. If you’re using your hands, let the egg white slip through your fingers while keeping the yolk on your palm. An egg separator functions similarly by balancing the yolk in the center of a metal disk while the white slides through.
Or, you can pass the yolk from shell to shell while the white drips into a bowl held below.
Storing Egg Whites and Egg Yolks
Don’t discard leftover egg yolks or whites. Cover whole egg yolks with water so they won’t dry out and store them in a jar in the refrigerator for three days. Whites will keep for up to three weeks. There’s no need to add water.
For longer storage freeze egg yolks and whites in plastic containers. A good way to freeze yolks is to beat them with a pinch of salt before freezing. They will keep for three months. Whites can be frozen for six months.
Beating Egg Whites
Egg whites can be whipped to a stiff, fluffy foam, reaching a volume seven or eight times their original. To achieve the most volume, whip whites with a balloon whisk or an electric beater incorporating as much air into the eggs as possible. Be sure egg whites are at room temperature and that all utensils are grease-free. It is also essential that no yolk be mixed with the white.
To achieve maximum volume begin beating whites slowly and gradually increase speed. If you are whipping by hand, use a circular motion and a large balloon whisk. Whip egg whites until they are stiff enough to hold peaks.
Do not over beat egg whites—they will become grainy and deflate. Cream of tartar acts as a stabilizer and helps egg whites maintain their structure. It is always best to use beaten egg whites immediately.
When beating together egg whites with sugar, always beat the whites to a foam first, before adding the sugar. Sugar, like cream of tartar helps stabilize the whites and also makes them glossy.
When folding flour into beaten egg whites, sift the flour in stages over the top and gently mix together.
Tips
Use a rubber spatula to carefully fold flour into beaten egg whites so they don’t deflate.
A lightly beaten egg gives bread a shiny crust. Straining the beaten egg through a fine sieve will make it easier to brush.
From American Home Baking
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