There is a certain type of baking process that require many adjustments due to the atmospheric pressure being lower at high altitudes. At sea level, the atmospheric pressure are heavy and constant, and the heavy atmospheric pressure aid in the holding of cake batter together during the rising of the batter. However, as a cook move to a higher altitude, the atmospheric pressure decreases.
A decrease in atmospheric pressure mean that the expansion of gases produced by leavening agent will occur more rapid. Because the expansion of these gases is rapid, the structure of a cake or muffin may rise too quickly and then undergo a collapse. For instance, the cook should reduce the amount of leavening agent used in high-altitude baking to prevent a collapse.
How to Bake at High Altitude
Thus, a cook must manage the leavening agent in relation to an altitude. Part of the reason for the change in water behavior is that the boiling point of water decrease as the altitude increase. Because the boiling point of water is lower at high altitude, the transition of water into steam occurs sooner than the transition of water into steam at sea level.
Since the transition of water into steam occur sooner, the evaporation of moisture from the dough or batter occur more quick. This rapid evaporation can drastically impact the dryness of baked goods. In addition, the cook may need to add extra liquid to a recipe or add extra flour to a recipe for the maintenance of the structural integrity of the baked goods.
One of the most underrated factor is sugar, as sugar acts as a tenderizer in relation to the structure of baked goods. Sugar interfere with the setting of proteins in the batter, and in high-altitude environment, sugar can weaken the walls of the bubbles created by leavening agent. Because the sugar weakens the walls of the bubbles, the bubbles may collapse under the low atmospheric pressure.
Thus, the cook may need to reduce the amount of sugar in a recipe so the baked goods can maintain the structure of the baked goods. For those using heat, temperature management is necessary because the setting of the structure must occur before the expansion of the gases becomes too great. Because the boiling point of liquid is lower at high altitude, the cook may need to increase the oven temperature to help the setting of the structure occur more quick.
However, an increase in the oven temperature that is too large can cause the outside of the baked good to burn while the inside of the baked good remain raw. In addition, a cook must monitor the oven more close at high altitude than the monitoring of the oven at sea level. Beyond yeast and candy making, different method are required because evaporation and gas expansion change at high altitude.
Yeast dough may rise faster at high altitude because the environment cause the yeast to act more quick. One of the first mistake is relying on a timer rather than the observation of the dough. In addition, high altitude affects candy making because the stages of candy making are dependent on the evaporation of water.
Because the evaporation of water occur differently at high altitude, the use of a candy thermometer is vital to the success of ensuring the candy reach the correct temperature. Thus, mastering the adjustment of leavening agent, sugar, liquid, and oven temperature is required for high-altitude baking.