Dear Bogota Expats,
Anyone bake at high altitude? Denverites? Yesterday I tried my first baking experience of chocolate chip cookies (The famous New York Times recipe!)... yes, a total flop (though still edible). Then I consulted King Arthur's webpage... increase the temp, decrease baking time, increase liquid, increase flour... I can see how all these would definitely help!
[Update Dec 8. 2013 - we had some Colombian friends over and they said something sort of simple... go buy some cookbooks for Colombia? But what am I 1) to do with my recipes from the US which are excellent, and 2) what do I do when I leave with these Colombian recipes? Maddening???
I did see amazon has a few recommended books, like Pie in the Sky... I might have to download or order those!]
Happy Baking,
Avila
high-altitude baking
The higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure. While this is an excellent environment for training athletes, it is a difficult one for baking recipes. Baking depends on the specific interactions of several kinds of ingredients: flour, leavening, fats, liquid. To complicate things further, individual microclimates vary greatly in the mountains, so the adjustment that works for you may not work for your neighbor down (or up) the road.
These charts are meant as a starting point, to help you convert recipes. Different types of baked goods need different adjustments, and we offer suggestions about where to start further on including adjusting chemical leavens according to altitude and baking cookies at high-altitude. It may take a few tries to get results you’re happy with; if possible, try to adjust only one ingredient at a time, so you can isolate the effect it has. Be sure to keep notes on what you’ve done, and try the smaller adjustments first when a range is given.
For more information…
Because high-altitude baking is a complex subject, we recommend a set of publications that cover all aspects of baking at 3,500 feet and up, from the Colorado State University Extension Resource Center. For questions, call toll free at 877.692.9358, refer, to their website, or at e-mail them.
~ changes when baking at high-altitude ~
| WHAT TO CHANGE | HOW TO CHANGE IT | WHY |
|---|
| Oven temperature | Increase 15 to 25°F; use the lower increase when making chocolate or delicate cakes. | Since leavening and evaporation proceed more quickly, the idea is to use a higher temperature to “set” the structure of baked goods before they overexpand and dry out. |
|---|
| Baking time | Decrease by 5-8 minutes per 30 minutes of baking time. | Baking at higher temperatures means products are done sooner. |
|---|
| Sugar | Decrease by 1 tablespoon per cup | Increased evaporation also increases concentration of sugar, which can weaken the structure of what you’re baking |
|---|
| Liquid | Increase by 1 to 2 tablespoons at 3,000 feet. Increase by 1 1/2 teaspoons for each additional 1,000 feet. You can also use extra eggs as part of this liquid, depending on the recipe. | Extra liquid keeps products from drying out at higher temperatures and evaporation rates. |
|---|
| Flour | At 3,500 feet, add 1 more tablespoon per recipe. For each additional 1,500 feet, add one more tablespoon. | In some recipes, a flour with a higher protein content may yield better results. Additional flour helps to strengthen the structure of baked goods. |
|---|
And specifically here is the section for baking cookies:
~ baking cookies at high-altitude ~
| WHAT TO CHANGE | HOW TO CHANGE IT | WHY |
|---|
| Oven temperature | Increase 15 to 25°F; use the lower increase when making chocolate or delicate cakes. | Since leavening and evaporation proceed more quickly, the idea is to use a higher temperature to “set” the structure of baked goods before they overexpand and dry out. |
|---|
| Baking time | Decrease by 5-8 minutes per 30 minutes of baking time. | Baking at higher temperatures means products are done sooner. |
|---|
| Sugar | Decrease by 1 tablespoon per cup | Increased evaporation also increases concentration of sugar, which can weaken the structure of what you’re baking |
|---|
| Liquid | Increase by 1 to 2 tablespoons at 3,000 feet. Increase by 1 1/2 teaspoons for each additional 1,000 feet. You can also use extra eggs as part of this liquid, depending on the recipe. | Extra liquid keeps products from drying out at higher temperatures and evaporation rates. |
|---|
| Flour | At 3,500 feet, add 1 more tablespoon per recipe. For each additional 1,500 feet, add one more tablespoon. | In some recipes, a flour with a higher protein content may yield better results. Additional flour helps to strengthen the structure of baked goods. |
|---|
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