We are at high altitude. What adjustments do we need to make when baking?
Unfortunately, there are no formulas we can give to plug into recipes. There are recommendations we can make, though. For cakes leavened by air, such as angel food, beat the egg whites only to soft peaks; otherwise, the batter may expand too much. For cakes made with shortening, you may want to decrease the baking powder (start by decreasing it by 1/8 teaspoon per teaspoon called for); decrease the sugar (start by decreasing by about 1 tablespoon for each cup called for); and increase the liquid (start by increasing it 1 to 2 tablespoons for each cup called for). These are estimates based on an altitude of 3000 feet above sea level. You can also try increasing the baking temperature by 15° to 25° to help set the batter.
the ultimate foodie
Because air pressure decreases as the elevation increases, many foods respond differently at high altitudes — and not just baked goods, but beans, stews, fried foods, pasta, etc. There are some standard adjustments you can make, but you also have to experiment a bit to find what adjustments work best for your recipes where you are.
With less air pressure weighing them down, leavening agents tend to work too quickly at higher altitudes, so by the time the food is cooked, most of the gasses have escaped, producing your flat tire. For cakes leavened by egg whites, beat only to a soft-peak consistency to keep them from deflating as they bake. Also, decrease the amount of baking powder or soda in your recipes by 15% to 25% (one-eighth to one quarter teaspoon per teaspoon specified in the recipe) at 5,000 feet, and by 25% or more at 7,000. For both cakes and cookies, raise the oven temperature by 20° or so to set the batter before the cells formed by the leavening gas expand too much, causing the cake or cookies to fall, and slightly shorten the cooking time.
Flour tends to be drier at high elevation, so increase the amount of liquid in the recipe by 2 to 3 tablespoons for each cup of flour called for at 5,000 feet, and by 3 to 4 tablespoons at 7,000 ft. Often you will want to decrease the amount of sugar in a recipe by 1 to 3 tablespoons for each cup of sugar called for in the recipe.
On the non-baking front, because water boils at a lower temperature the higher you go (212° at sea level, 203° at 5,000 feet, 198° at 7,500 feet), foods cooked in water have to be cooked substantially longer to get them done. Pasta needs a furious boil and longer time. Beans need to be cooked twice as long at 7,000 feet, and above that height, it's nearly impossible to cook them through without the use of a pressure cooker (which raises the boiling point of water). Slow stews and braises may need an hour extra for every 1,000 feet you live above 4,000 feet.
In general, you should keep modifications on the small side the first time you prepare a recipe, and adjust as needed subsequently.
Unfortunately, there is no set answer, and the even differences in higher altitudes affect baking. I live at mile high after being at sea level for 31 years, and even though there is advice to be had, you will mainly have to proceed through trial and error.
Duncan Hines cake mix and Softasilk cake flour have excellent altitude adjustment directions. I often use them as a base for my own variations. Generally at my altitude, we use extra large eggs(maybe even an extra egg), a bit less sugar, a bit more flour, and more liquid. I have cream on hand when making cakes , and if the batter seems too dry, I add some. I have found that cornbread needs a bit less levening and a bit more liquid. It's almost like my grandmas cooked..."when it looks like good bread dough..."
Buy a couple of local cookbooks- if there is a scarcity of cake recipes, there is a reason. Choose a recipe that is similar to your own, then adjust your own recipe to conform to the differences. Also check with your state dept. of agriculture for a high altitude cooking guide- Colorado, for example, has one. But remember that you will only have GUIDES, and not set formulas. It still requires trail and error. Sometimes, too, adjustments in oven temps and baking times may be needed. But one again, there is no set formula.
JI know this is not what anyone wants to hear, but--Just keep trying!
Answering this question is tricky. I agree with the others but I feel cold weather at high altitudes affect rising yeast recipes. It is slower. I live in Texas at the higher altitudes and the other day I had to throw away two batches of bread dough because two would not rise fast enough. You have to allow longer time rising dough or cooking in the oven.
Living at 10,000 ft. above sea level taught me many things about high altitude baking. This was in Quito, Ecuador, and 30 years ago it was next to impossible to get reliable information. But there are some principles that hold true.
Higher altitudes=more liquids, higher baking/cooking times and temperatures, 15-25% less leavening, less sugar and a keen eye!
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