Skip to main content

Baking at Altitude

My family and I moved from Maryland to Colorado when I was 11. Baking has always been a fun activity for my mom and I to do together, but we were warned when we moved here that we would have to change all of our recipes. This can be kind of difficult, so a family friend recommend the cookbook Pie in the Sky.

The author, Susan G. Purdy, worked out her recipes all over the country with different altitudes so that you can use this book no matter where you are. She does all of the classics and some fun new recipes that will turn out perfectly even at a mile high. I will definitely be using some of her recipes in the upcoming weeks.

If you want to modify your own recipes there are some easy rules to follow:
Oven Temperature: Increase the temperature 15-25 degrees
Baking Time: Decrease your time by 5-7 minutes per 30 minutes of baking
Flour: If you live above 3,500 ft. you should add 1 tablespoon of flour to your recipe
Sugar: Decrease 1 tablespoon per cup
Liquids: If you live above 3,000 ft. you should add 1-2 tablespoons to your recipe

For all of the bread makers out there, be sure not to over-proof your dough. When above 3,000 ft. you should exempt a quarter of your yeast and increase liquids to work to keep your bread moist.

Don't let high altitudes ruin your baked goods! With a few quick changes, all of your recipes can be successful wherever you are.

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 4, 2020 at 9:44 PM

    This cake looks amazing! The idea of adding fresh fruit is brilliant.

    I would also recommend using a little bit of flour the the pans after using the cooking spray to assist with sticking.

    Are you able to use this same recipe to make cupcakes? Are there any adjustments needed to the ingredients?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Taylor RodriguezJune 7, 2020 at 11:42 PM

    This is such an interesting blog to read about. I feel like I could be a baker with all of these great tips. I never realized that you have to change your flour amount too. What a great tip.

    I wonder how many cakes I could have saved from over baking.

    Did you ever had an incident where the altitude altered your baked foods goods?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What is Stevia?

You may have heard of this zero-calorie sugar substitute called stevia, but what is it? Well I had the same question so I got to reading and this is what I learned.  Stevia is a plant that grows in South America and is related to the daisy and the ragweed and grows a bush-like plant. The leaves are dried and the result is a powder that is around 200 times the strength of sugar.  Diabetics everywhere should all get on board with stevia since it doesn't contribute any calories or carbohydrates to your diet and does not affect blood sugar or glucose levels. Even after a meal, blood sugar levels are still low. A natural sweetener like that is hard to come by!  Stevia is easy to come by and it is starting to show up in more of our favorite drinks, snacks and deserts. It is reasonably priced and a little goes a long way. So if you're looking for a way to cut some sugar out of your diet, here is an easy place to start. I plan on picking some up at the store and using it in my ne...
Post a Comment
Read more

Applesauce Cake with Icing Glazing

This week I'd love to share another recipe from Pie in the Sky , a cookbook with variations on recipes for all altitudes. She has traveled across the country, borrowing kitchens from "friends in high places" as she puts it.  While reading through her chapter about testing recipes at different elevations, it became very clear that this was a very taxing job. She describes making dozens of batches of bran muffins just to see them cave in every time. It took many tries to get the perfect dome. And that's how all of the recipes went.  If you can't get your hands on this cookbook or one like it, there are plenty of online resources to find pre-tested high altitude recipes. I'd recommend starting with blogs like Dough-Eyed  and My Kitchen in the Rockies . There are so many great tips for baking at high altitude, so don't let yourself get discouraged!  This week's cake is a spicy and sweet dense cake that will get you in the holiday spirit. Don't let the ...
4 comments
Read more

My Favorite Zucchini Bread

I've been baking with my Mom since forever and she is my favorite person to bake with. She's my sous chef and my teacher. She has so many cookbooks and recipes written on scraps of paper, but she won't follow any of them. I'm all about measuring everything so it is perfect, my mom on the other hand enjoys "eye-balling" it. And somehow it always turns out delicious.  The recipe for this Zucchini bread came from a very old cookbook and we've been making it for as long as I can remember. It tastes like home and is one of my all time comfort foods.  It's different because the recipe calls for crushed pineapple. When I moved to college and finally had a place with my own kitchen, I was ready to make some zucchini bread, but I didn't have the recipe. So I looked up zucchini bread recipes on Pinterest and gave it a shot. To be fair, the bread was good, but not as good as my mom's. I really think the pineapple does something special to it.  With that ...
Post a Comment
Read more