The Encyclopedia Of High Altitude Baking

By Anne Labell

The Encyclopedia of High-Altitude Baking begins where other cookbooks fear to go. Written from the Colorado Rockies and the Pacific Northwest that honors the past traditions of the kitchens of America's baking heritage. This cookbook/encyclopedia will educate and support the challenges of baking at all altitudes and shows you how to perfect baked goods for your elevation as well as teach you how to modify any recipe. With over thirty-six states requiring some adjustments to their sea-level recipes, this cookbook will benefit anyone, regardless of where they live. Featuring over three hundred delicious historical and original recipes with measurements of seven elevations from sea level to ten thousand feet, including problem-solving charts! Part 2 is an extensive A-Z encyclopedia with fun facts and information that covers everything that affects baking at the highest elevations. The Encyclopedia of High-Altitude Baking represents a harvest of kitchen ingenuity and treasures from the crossroads of America.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781646706792

Book preview

9781646706792_cover.jpg

The Encyclopedia of High-Altitude Baking

Anne Labell

ISBN 978-1-64670-678-5 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64670-679-2 (Digital)

Copyright © 2020 Anne Labell

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books, Inc.

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

Territory Tricks

Baking in High Country

Territory Tricks: Measuring

High-Altitude States

High-Altitude Formulas

Hix-Mix Fix

Metric Conversion Chart

Global Conversion Chart

The Breads

All About Yeast Breads

All About Quick Breads

Bread 101

Ways to Make Bread Moist

Biscuit Basics

Muffins

Muffin Challenge Chart

Authentic Napoli Pizza

Yukon Sourdough

Sourdough Challenge Chart

Beautiful Bread Braiding

Challenge Chart Breads That Won’t Behave

Yellow Rose of Texas Bread

Doughnut Muffins

Berry Shortcake

Classic Light White Bread

Serious Cinnamon Rolls

Traditional Challah

Whole Wheat Bread

Platte Pancakes

Organic Soy Rolls

Texas Cathead Biscuits

Snow Muffins

Banana Bread French Toast

French Toast

New Orleans Bread Pudding

Irish Barmbrack

The Cakes

High-Country Cakes

Cakes 101

Easy as Cake

Cupcake Clinic

Challenge Chart When Good Cakes Good Bad

Chicago Mystery Cake, c. 1930

Coconut Cream Cake

Blue Agave Chocolate

Scripture Cake, c. 1900

Less Cake c. 1930

Black-Bottom Cupcakes

Carrot Apple Cake

Sweet Potato Pound Cake

The Cheesecakes

All About Cheesecake

Cheesecake 101

Crusts and Toppings

Custard Care

Challenge Chart Cheesecake or Doorstop?

Vanilla Berry Cheesecake

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

Diner Pineapple Cheesecake!

Cascade Cheesecake

Apricot Glaze Cheesecake

Basic and Rich Custard, c. 1940

Rich and Creamy Custard

The Pies

Doughs and Crusts

Pie 101

Pie and Fruit Fillings

Meringues and Glazes

Challenge Chart What Pie?

Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie

Sweet Wild Rice Pie

Coconut Banana Cream Pie

Skillet Peach Cobbler

Warm Berry Agave Cobbler

Those Cookies

It’s All About the Cookie

Cookie Dough and Methods

Brownie Points

Challenge Chart Cookies I Have Known

Preacher’s Kid

First-Prize Lemon Bars

Moondoggies

Colorado Hail

Cocoa Snow Canyons

Old-School Jam Bars

Building Code Gingerbread

Dotie’s Nut Brownies

Oklahoma Rocks, c. 1905

Twist N’ Shouts

Joe Froggers

Spicy Boys

Undisputed Chocolate Chip

A–Z Encyclopedia of High-Altitude Baking

About the Author

May you always be on the morning side of the mountain!

—An Irish blessing

Chapter 1

Territory Tricks

Baking in High Country

Territory Tricks: Measuring

High-Altitude States and Formulas

Hix-Mix Fix

Metric and Global Conversion Charts

Baking in High Country

Sea level is the point from which altitudes are measured. As the altitude above sea level increases, the atmospheric pressure decreases. Although boiling points change at different altitudes, oven temperature remains constant at any elevation. Therefore, 350° in Key West, Florida, is 350° in Denver, Colorado. At sea level, when water boils at 212°F, it’s boiling at 202°F in Denver or every 500 feet up the boiling point drops 1° as in 198°F in Laramie, Wyoming. Most sea-level recipes will work up to 2,500 feet, altitudes above that will require some adjustments in baked goods and sugar cookery, depending on your elevation.

With all the misinformation out there, it’s understandable why high-altitude baking is confusing—what to increase or what to reduce. With a few adjustments, you can easily turn any sea-level recipe into your own baking success. The following chart of ingredients are listed according to their importance.

The volume of gas liberated by leavening ingredients increase; therefore, recipes demanding baking soda or powder require less in high altitude than in lower elevations. These leavening agents produce 20 percent more gas by volume at 5,000 feet than at sea level. The higher the altitude, the greater the expansion of gas produced by the leavening. For example, at five thousand feet, gas releases in the bread 20 percent more than it does at sea level and 40 percent more at ten thousand feet. When lower atmospheric pressure evaporates, it can concentrate flavors and sugars. In baking, the dry air evaporates faster; overall doubling any recipe can be a gamble, so sometimes, it’s best just to keep remaking the recipes fresh again.

How Altitudes Affect Baking

Breads and cakes: Baking will require adjustments including sugars, baking powders, liquids, fats, temperature, and sometimes flour.

Batters and dough: Because they dry out quicker, use milk, sour cream, juice, or boiling water to the batter to increase moisture.

Flour: Dries out quicker at high elevations and will absorb more liquid during baking. Avoid self-rising flour, they contain baking powders and salt and can offset the chemistry balance of your recipe.

Quick breads and muffins: Will require less ingredient adjustments than larger breads or cakes.

Leavening and yeast: The higher the altitude, the greater expansion of gas, dough rises faster so use less.

Cookies: While baking, sugar liquefies faster and cookies will bake up flat so use less.

Sugar cookery: Sugar melts hotter at high elevations so avoid using copperware. Stove-top candy making at higher altitudes need to be exact. When testing, use the more accurate sugar test of the ball, thread, and crack stages than the less-reliable candy thermometer. The higher the elevation, the longer water and sugar boils at a lower temperature and takes longer to cook; do not raise the heat or it will burn fast.

Sugar test: Pour cold water into a glass cup, slightly drip a drop of hot sugar into the cup to test sugar firmness.

Soft ball: A soft ball that is squeezable

Firm ball: Holds its shape when squeezed

Hard ball: Very firm ball that still is pliable

Soft crack: Sugar divides into threads

Hard crack: Very brittle threads

See A–Z Candy for more candy temperatures.

Territory Tricks: Measuring

Read the recipe and make sure you have all the ingredients before you start. Set the oven temperature and prepare the baking pans, set out your tools.

Measure carefully, using metal cups for dry ingredients and glass heat-tempered (spouted) cups for liquids. Metal measuring spoons can be used for both dry and liquid ingredients.

Helpful items such as kitchen timers, oven lights, and even taking notes, will save you time and stress so go ahead, write in your cookbooks.

Measuring Cups and Spoons

When purchasing measuring cups and spoons, it’s smart to spend the extra money to have good quality cooking tools that will last for life. Be cautious when buying cheap plastic measuring tools. Most are made overseas where they use the metric system and can give you an inaccurate measurement that can make a critical difference in the outcome. Plastic tools can harbor bacteria, are not dishwasher-safe, and will warp with every hot wash. A good plan is to have two sets of measuring tools on hand; this will make sure your baking project flows smoothly without interruptions of rewashing.

Liquid measuring cups: Learn to measure accurately, off measurements at sea level are forgivable, careless measuring at high altitudes are not. Tempered glass cups are best for liquid measuring with a spout and printed increments marks on the cup for hot and cold use.

To measure liquid ingredients: Set the glass cup on the countertop and fill to the desired measure, bend down to be eye level with the cup and check your mark. For sticky liquids such as molasses, honey, or corn syrup, lightly spray the inside of the cup with nonstick cooking spray first and sticky foods will pour easier.

Dry measuring cups: Metal is best, aluminum or stainless steel, a simple cup with no spout and can be sanitized in the dishwasher.

To measure dry ingredients: Stir dry ingredients once or twice to break up any clumps from dryness. Avoid scooping the cup into the container, the ingredients will be compacted into the cup and the measurement will be off. Spoon loosely into the dry measuring cup until it mounds above the rim of the cup, slowly run the back of a knife and level off. Never pack down dry ingredients and be careful not to accidentally hit or tap the cup on something, you can accidently compact down your ingredients.

Flour is always sifted once before its measured, then spoon into the measuring cup. When your recipe calls for 1 cup flour sifted, this means you should sift the flour after measuring. If your recipe calls for 1 cup sifted flour, then sift the flour before measuring.

Most sea level and high-altitude recipes need to be leveled off, unless course, your recipe calls for a heaping portion.

Brown sugar should be lightly spooned into a dry cup and leveled off with the back of a knife.

Coconut, shredded cheese, grated carrots should be lightly packed into a dry measuring cup.

Shortening, butter, peanut butter, sweet potato, or fruit pulp can be lightly packed into a dry measuring cup and leveled off with a rubber spatula.

Dry and liquid measuring spoons: Metal measuring spoons are best for both dry and liquid ingredients.

1 teaspoon holds 1/3 of a tablespoon

1 tablespoon holds 1/16 of a cup

1 quart holds 4 cups

To measure liquids ingredients: Hold the spoon with one steady hand while pouring into the spoon with the other hand. A good liquid measure will be slightly rounded.

To measure honey, molasses, or blue agave nectar: pour thick liquids into the measuring spoon, or if it’s easier, dip the spoon into the jar and scoop out the liquid.

To measure dry ingredients: dip the measuring spoon into the container and gently scoop a spoonful off the top surface and level off.

Before opening a spice container, give it a good shake first to break up any clumps caused by altitude dryness.

Early Utensils

Pioneers often carved their own utensils from wood. Containers and ladles were made from squash gourds they grew and fastened willow twigs for whisking eggs with. Native Americans used carved sticks, bark, large green leaves, sea shells for plates and baskets. In 1850, there were no standard-size measuring tools. Recipes that were passed down through the family often called for a pinch of this or a thimble of cinnamon, a handful of flour, or a piece of butter the size of an egg or simply flour to make stiff.

High-Altitude States

States That May Require Measurement Adjustment

High-Altitude Formulas

Are your cookies harder than Chinese arithmetic? Failure is usually due to inaccurate measurements, careless baking, or poor-quality ingredients. Over time, bakers have created formulas that work for them and their elevation. The following section is a collection of suggested formulas dated from the 1920s–1980s. One of them may work for you.

Flour: Add 1 tablespoon of flour over 3,500 feet, + 1 tablespoon for every 1,500 feet thereafter.

Leavening: For every teaspoon, use 2/3 teaspoon at 3,500 feet; 1/2 teaspoon at 5,000 feet; 1/3 teaspoon at 6,500 feet; 1/4 teaspoon at 8,000 feet or above.

Cookies and cakes: Increase oven heat by 25°F over 3,500 feet. Decrease baking by 5–15 minutes, this prevents them from expanding too fast or baking too dry.

Temperature: Increase oven heat by 5–10°F for every 1,000 feet.

Time: Baking time will be shortened slightly about 1/8–1/4 of the time due to increase of heat.

Range top: Try lowering hot grease at least 5 degrees for every 2,000 feet above sea level. Over 5,000 feet, blanch vegetables for freezing 1 minute longer.

Hix-Mix Fix

Adjusting Box Mixes

• Brownies

Mixes that call for 1/3 cup water +1/3 cup oil + 1 egg at 375°F

Add 3–4 tablespoons water or coffee, raise oven temperature to 400°F.

Glassware: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water, raise oven temperature to 400°F.

• Cupcakes

Add 2–3 tablespoons water, raise oven temperature by 25°F.

• Cakes

Mixes that call for 1 1/3 cup water + 2 tablespoons oil +3 eggs at 350°F

Add 3–4 tablespoons water, raise oven temperature to 375°F.

Mixes that call for 1 cup water + 1/3 cup oil + 3 eggs at 350°F

Add 3 tablespoons water, 2–4 tablespoons flour, raise temperature to 375°F.

Mixes that call for 1/2 cup water + 1/2 cup oil +1 egg at 325°F

Add 2 tablespoons water, raise temperature of oven to 350°F.

When opening a new box, pour out into a bowl and stir once or twice with a fork or whisk to break up any clumps that settle in the package and prevent any uncooked pockets of mix. When using a mix, a thin liquid, like water or milk, is the best choice when adding extra liquid, avoid adding extra oil. For any chocolate mix, try adding hot coffee instead of plain water. Beware of processed foods. Remember, if you can’t pronounce it, it shouldn’t be in your body.

• Tube Biscuits

Increase oven temperature by 25°F and reduce the baking time by 5–7 minutes, try using a cookie sheet under the biscuit pan to avoid burning and allow for even baking. Separate the biscuits about 2 inches apart.

Metric Conversion Chart

Global Conversion Chart

Uneven amounts are rounded off.

Minus (-) or plus (+) indicate amounts of teaspoons.

Chapter 2

The Breads

All About Yeast and Quick Breads

Bread 101: Ways to Make Bread Moist

Biscuit Basics, Muffins

Napoli Pizza,