It’s no secret that we love baking! With recipes to get you through almost every day of the year, we’re often busy in the kitchen whipping up a treat of some kind. In Fort Collins, Colorado, our home base, we’re at about 5,000 feet above sea level. Some of our friends up in the mountains live well above 8,500 feet though!
If you have a recipe that you are baking for the first time, there’s a chance that it will come out perfectly baked at altitude. There is also a chance that some adjustments might be necessary to make that recipe a home-run! We recommend trying a recipe as written the first time you make it. If it doesn’t turn out, then you can start experimenting!
With so many great resources online, we’re sharing our top 10 favorite baking tips for Colorado that we’ve pulled from other sites and from our Executive Chef’s notes:
- Extra flour helps! Starting at 3,500 feet above sea level, add 1 more tablespoon per recipe – scale that increase up as your altitude increases. Additional flour helps strengthen the structure of baked goods.
- Adjust your leavening agents – rising happens quicker at altitude and a lower amount of baking powder or baking soda can help maintain the level you are looking for.
- Dipped centers on your quick breads? Try decreasing the fat, leavener, and sugar.
- Bake your brownies at a decreased oven temperature (about 25 degrees) to prevent overbaked sides and a soupy middle.
- If your pie crusts don’t have the right texture, slightly more liquid could help.
- Making a yeast bread (yay!)? Try covering your dough and place it in the refrigerator for the first rise. It will take a little longer, but that will give your dough more flavor and allow the yeast to develop over time.
- Cookies on your horizon? Increase oven temperature to keep your cookies from overexpanding and drying out!
- Got a cake recipe with shortening? You might have to reduce the shortening by 1-2 tablespoons to prevent the cake from falling.
- Angel food cake? Beat your egg whites only to soft-peak stage to keep the texture light and fluffy.
- When you’re baking cakes, prevent an overly moist layer by increasing flour.
Happy baking and enjoy!