I think we can all agree that baking is about balance. All the ingredients, no matter their portions, play a role in creating a delicate, flavorful pastry.
That’s why messing up one ingredient can cause the entire recipe to fall apart. You know what ingredient people tend to use wrong the most? Eggs!
That’s why I made this post. I’ll show eggs’ role in baking and how to avoid common egg mistakes.
What Is the Rule of Eggs In Baking?
If you have any experience with baking, you know that eggs are indispensable in most recipes. Have you ever wondered why?
What makes a few eggs so influential in the baking process? That’s what I’m here to answer!
Egg Whites
Each component in the egg has a dedicated role in the baking process. The main role of egg whites is to act as a natural leavening agent.
You know how your cake batter rises when you put it in the oven? That’s because of the egg whites.
Sure, the yeast and baking soda contribute to the rise, too, but the whites are the real heroes. You see, when you add egg whites and whisk them, they create a foam that holds tiny air bubbles.
Once the cake goes into the oven, the heat causes the air pockets to expand, prompting the cake to rise and creating a fluffy, light texture.
Egg Yolks
Egg yolks have more than one role in baking, but the most important one is binding ingredients together. You see, pastries usually require adding different components that don’t necessarily mix well together.
However, as a baker, your job is to create homogenous mixtures that translate to smooth pastries. So, how do you do that?
Add egg yolks. They can effectively bind liquids and fats together, allowing you to make consistent, balanced pastries.
That’s why eggs are popular in gluten-free baking recipes. Gluten is another effective binding mixture.
Without it, your baked goodies could lose their structural integrity. Adding eggs helps you bind all the ingredients properly, preventing your pastries from crumbling.
Common Egg Mistakes You Should Avoid
Now that you understand the role of eggs in baking, let’s see how you can avoid common egg mistakes to produce mouth-watering pastries.
Ignoring the Eggs’ Temperature
How many times have you done this: You’re going through the recipe gradually, following all the instructions step-by-step. When it’s time to add the eggs, you grab a few from the fridge and add them to your batter.
I see a lot of beginners make this mistake, and I want to put an end to it. You see, baking is all about chemistry.
If you’ve paid attention in chemistry class, you’d know how important a role temperature plays in the process. You can’t randomly grab cold eggs and add them to your batter.
What if your recipe requires room-temperature eggs? Yes, there’s a difference.
Room-temperature eggs are easier to blend with the other ingredients. So, you’ll easily get a homogenous mixture that will translate to a fluffy texture.
Adding cold eggs to room temperature ingredients will cause the batter to curdle, which will ruin the pastries’ texture. That doesn’t mean your eggs should always be at room temperature.
I don’t care about texture when I’m making drop cookies, so I have no problem adding eggs straight from the fridge. It all depends on the nature of the recipe.
Using the Wrong Egg Size
Have you noticed that most baking recipes require you to use large eggs? You’d be surprised how many home bakers ignore this point and use any random size they have.
As I mentioned before, baking is like chemistry, and chemistry is all about balance. When chefs develop a recipe, they choose specific measurements to achieve certain results.
You can’t just mess with the balance between these ingredients. That’s especially true for eggs, as using the wrong size would disrupt the structure, flavor, and richness of the recipe.
I’m not asking you to weigh every egg you use to ensure it’s big enough. Just buy the carton that says “large eggs” on it.
Of course, it all depends on the instructions of the recipe. Avoid using large eggs for a recipe that requires medium eggs.
What if you don’t have the right size? You can adjust the number of eggs accordingly.
For example, If a recipe calls for four large eggs, you can replace that with five medium eggs.
Final Thoughts
Now, you understand that eggs hold the secret behind leavening in baking and how to avoid common egg mistakes. You can see how many home bakers ignore the intricacies of using eggs in baking recipes, but that’s what separates the top bakers from the rest.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.