Baked foods

What might go wrong...

You can try this...

Breads, Quick

Includes banana bread, coffee cakes, gingerbread and other quick breads.

• May expand too much during baking
  
• Bread may partially collapse
  
• Sticky or tacky to the touch
  
• Dipped center
  

• Decrease baking soda or baking powder (1/8 to 1/4 tsp)
  
• Decrease sugar (1 to 2 Tbsp
  
• Decrease fat (2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup)
  
• Increase water (1 to 4 Tbsp)
  
• Increase flour (2 to 4 Tbsp)
  
• Increase oven temperature by 15°F to 25°F

Breads, Yeast

• May expand too much during rising time
  
• Drier texture
  
• Bread may have large holes throughout

• Decrease flour and/or increase liquid until dough is soft and elastic
  
• Allow dough to rise only until double in size (rising time may be shorter)
  
• Punch down (deflate) dough (and allow to rise) twice

Bars & Brownies

• Overbaked sides, underbaked center
  
• Sunken center
  
• Gummy texture
  
• Greasy appearance or touch

• Decrease oven temperature by 25°F
  
• Decrease oil (1 Tbsp to 1/2 cup)
  
• Increase flour (1 Tbsp to 1/3 cup)
  
• Increase water (1 Tbsp to 1/3 cup)
  
• Increase bake time (up to 10 minutes)

Cake, Angel Food

• Over-rising and spilling over pan sides
  
• Coarse texture
  
• Falls out of pan when cooled upside down

• Decrease oil and/or sugar (1 Tbsp to 1/3 cup)
  
• Beat egg whites only to soft-peak stage
  
• Increase flour (1 Tbsp to 1/3 cup)
  
• Increase water (up to 1/3 cup)
  
• Increase oven temperature by 25°F

Cakes, 13x9-Inch & Layer

• Too dry, crumbly, pasty or dense
  
• Sunken center
  
• Overbaked exterior, underbaked interior
  
• Overly moist layer at top or bottom
  
• Cake “falls” (not enough structure)

• Decrease oil or shortening (1 to 2 Tbsp)
  
• Decrease baking soda or baking powder (1/8 to 1/4 tsp)
  
• Increase liquid (1 to 4 Tbsp) or add an egg
  
• Increase flour (1 Tbsp to 1/2 cup)
  
• Increase bake time until doneness is achieved

Cookies

Cookies usually bake well at high altitudes, but you might notice:

• Cookies have a drier texture
  
• Cookies may spread too much
  
• Cookies may not spread enough
  
• Cookies may overbrown
  
• Cookies may be underdone

• Decrease butter or shortening (2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup) if cookies spread too much
  
• Decrease sugar slightly if cookies spread too much (amount depends on size of batch and other ingredients)
  
• Increase liquid by 1 to 2 Tbsp only if dough is too dry and cookies don’t spread
  
• Increase flour (starting with 1 or 2 Tbsp) if cookies spread too much
  
• Increase bake time by 1 to 3 minutes
  
• Decrease bake time by 1 to 2 minutes

Fried Dough

• Cooks too fast
  
• Overcooked outside, undercooked inside

• Decrease cooking temperature 3°F per 1,000 feet of altitude
  
• Increase cook time

Muffins, Biscuits & Scones

Muffins, biscuits and scones usually bake well at high altitudes, but you may notice:

• Drier texture
  
• Muffins have flat tops that flow together
  

• Too brown

• Decrease baking soda or baking powder (1/8 tsp)
  
• Decrease sugar slightly if batter is too thin and flows out of muffin cups
  
• Increase number of muffins (because batter at high altitudes has more volume)
• Increase liquid by 1 to 2 Tbsp if batter is too thick
  
• Increase flour (starting with 1 Tbsp) if batter is too thin and flows out of muffin cups
  
• Increase or decrease bake time by 1 to 3 minutes

Pie Crust

Pie crusts usually bake fine at high altitudes, but you might notice:

• Drier texture when you're forming the dough

Cooked foods

What might go wrong...

You can try this...

Eggs, Hard-Cooked & Soft-Cooked

• May take longer to cook
  
• Liquid may evaporate faster

• Add a pinch of salt to the water before heating

• For hard-cooked eggs, boil 5 minutes, then cover and let stand 15 minutes

• After allowing to stand, drain and rinse with cold water

Grilled Foods

• May take longer to cook

   

• Watch foods xtra carefully while grilling

• Allow more time for larger foods to cook thoroughly

• Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness

• Place food further from heat to avoid burning

• Baste foods during last 5 to 10 minutes

• Grill over lower heat to keep foods from drying out and burning (and it may take longer to cook)

Meats

•  May take longer to cook

   

• Watch meats carefully when cooking by any method

• Allow more time for meats to cook thoroughly

• Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness

Pasta & Rice

• May take longer to cook

• Liquid may evaporate faster

• Increase cooking liquid (water), if it  is evaporating too fast and it seems necessary

• Increase the cooking time

Slow-Cooker Foods

For food safety, fthe ood in slow cookers has to reach and then stay at a a high temperature during cooking. You may notice that slow-cooker foods: 

• May take longer to cook

• Defrost frozen meat, poultry and vegetables before cooking in slow cooker

• Do not remove lid from slow cooker, especially during first 3 hours

• Check temperatures of cooked foods with a meat thermometer

• Turn cooker to High heat setting after adding ingredients near end of recipe (such as for gravy or sauce)

• Increase the liquid amount if using cornstarch or flour to thicken e sauce or gravy

Soups, Stews & Sauces

• May take longer to cook

• Liquid may evaporate faster

Add water to get the consistency you want (for sauces, start with 1 to 2 Tbsp; for soups and stews, amount needed could be up to 1 cup)

Vegetables

•  May take longer to cook

•  Increase cook time up to 5 minutes or until hot and tender