Isn't it wild how a simple kitchen technique can make a huge difference in your cooking or baking? Knowing how to make an egg wash when baking is a perfect example of this—and it takes less than a minute to do. Here, we share a step-by-step procedure, followed by sample recipes that use an egg wash for perfectly baked goods.
What Is an Egg Wash?
An egg wash is simply a whole egg, egg yolk, or egg white mixed with a small amount of water, milk, or cream. Often, a single beaten egg is also used; though it might be a bit trickier to brush on evenly, it will provide a luscious, dark sheen nonetheless.
The egg-liquid mixture is then brushed over baked goods—like bread or pastries—before going in the oven to help give them a strikingly golden color and an eye-catching gloss after baking. An egg wash can also help seal the edges of filled pastries or hand pies and help any sprinkled sugar adhere to the dough. It's a straightforward technique that elevates both sweet and savory baked goods.
How to Make an Egg Wash
As you may have guessed, making an egg wash is very simple and requires only two steps.
Beat one large egg and one tablespoon of liquid (water, milk, or cream) in a small bowl with a fork until well combined. (Alternatively, beat one large egg white or one large egg yolk with one teaspoon of liquid.)
Brush the egg wash mixture evenly on the surface of the dough using a pastry brush. Bake according to the recipe. The desired browning and gloss effect is a direct result of heat.
Because this technique involves raw eggs, the brush should be thoroughly washed after use to avoid cross-contamination, and this technique should not be applied if not followed by the indicated baking time of a recipe.
Water vs. Milk or Cream
Choosing which liquid to use in an egg wash can depend on how much browning and gloss is desired. The more fat and protein in the mixture, the more browning and shine. A whole egg mixed with water will produce golden-brown results with some gloss, while a whole egg combined with heavy cream takes that up a few notches and yields deeply golden-brown results with a touch more sheen.
Egg White vs. Egg Yolk
Additionally, you might wonder when it's best to use just an egg white or an egg yolk. An egg white mixed with water is best used for baked goods that would benefit from a nice gloss and just some light golden color. An egg yolk mixed with water will yield a deep golden color (much like a whole beaten egg without any liquid). Using milk or cream will further enhance the color and gloss.
However, feel free to use what you have on hand. The benefit of using a whole egg instead of only an egg white or an egg yolk is that it minimizes food waste. Or, be sure to use the rest of the egg for tasty scrambled eggs if only using the egg white or yolk for the egg wash.
How to Use an Egg Wash
Using an egg wash when baking couldn't be easier. All it takes is brushing the mixture evenly with a pastry brush onto the baked good. The keyword here is "evenly," as it's important to avoid any pooling around the base or on the surface, which can result in an uneven look after baking but can also be off-putting in terms of taste. Try one of these sample recipes that use this simple egg-wash technique when baking.
Ideally, a silicone brush is used for easy clean-up and less concern over loose bristles from a natural pastry brush, which has the potential to shed.
These flaky, crispy pastries are brushed with an egg wash, which gives the final product a golden crackle. Sometimes called palm leaves or elephant ears, our recipe uses frozen puff pastry to shorten the cooking time to only 35 minutes.
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Antipasto Stromboli
A beaten egg works double-time in this calzone-like stuffed pizza dough. While this recipe calls for traditional antipasto ingredients like prosciutto and pepperoncini, you can customize it to your liking. Using store-bought pizza dough helps save time.
Brushing the edges of this galette with an egg wash helps the pistachio sugar adhere to the dough. It's a beautiful apple recipe that's perfect for serving guests.
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Red Pepper Walnut Knots
An egg wash helps these flaky and flavorful knots turn into golden perfection. They're a delightful party appetizer and are easy to make using puff pastry.
Whole Egg + Whole Milk: In a small bowl, combine 1 large egg with 1 Tbsp. whole milk; whisk until fully combined and no streaks remain, then brush over the dough. This egg wash will give your baked goods a nice golden brown color and just enough shine.
For a deeper brown sheen with a crispier crust, use water.For a lighter, slightly shinier sheen with a softer crust, use milk or heavy cream. For a firmer, lighter crust with little shine, use only the egg white and water. For a darker, richer hue, use only the egg yolk.
An egg white mixed with water is best used for baked goods that would benefit from a nice gloss and just some light golden color. An egg yolk mixed with water will yield a deep golden color (much like a whole beaten egg without any liquid). Using milk or cream will further enhance the color and gloss.
The wash is brushed over the surface of goods like breads, pastries and pies to give them a shiny browned appearance after baking. A wash can also be brushed on the edges when forming pastries to help seal one crust to another, as it is in hand pies or turnovers.
The general rule of thumb for an egg wash is one well-beaten whole egg plus one to two tablespoons of water. More water will lighten the golden color, or for a shinier pie, you can substitute the water with cream or milk. Sometimes, an egg wash is made with just yolks for extra color—or just whites for extra shine.
Plastic pastry brushes can be used for a wide range of culinary tasks, such as evenly distributing egg wash on pastries, glazing pastries, spreading sauces, or buttering pans.
We did find, however, that in addition to flavoring the wash, salt helps denature the proteins in the egg, making it more fluid and therefore much easier to brush evenly and gently over delicate doughs. We'll be adding a pinch of salt to our egg washes from now on.
You can use an egg wash to seal edges together, add shine, or enhance the golden color of baked goods. To start, mix egg plus 1 tablespoon of liquid (water, milk, or cream) in a small bowl with a fork until combined. You'll apply it with a pastry brush.
Warm to hot water causes the egg contents to expand which helps prevent bacteria from being pulled in through the pores. Colder temperatures will cause egg contents to contract and pull in any bacteria on the shell surface. Wash off any visible contamination. Wash eggs individually.
The standard breading procedure includes three steps: dredging in flour, moistening in egg wash (beaten egg plus a tablespoon or two of water or milk), then coating in breadcrumbs or Panko (Japanese bread crumbs with terrific texture!).
In baking, many recipes call for an egg wash to be brushed on the baked goods before it goes into the oven. The purpose of this is to give the final product a golden brown color that is slightly shiny. Egg washes can make the final product look more professional, a bit crispier, or act as a binder."
Simply use a spoon to drizzle your given brushing liquid over the pastry surface, and quickly follow up with a loosely wadded paper towel to blot and spread.
The standard breading technique involves first dredging the item with flour, dipping it in egg wash, and then finally coating it with breadcrumbs. This works because the flour sticks to the food, the egg sticks to the flour, and the breadcrumbs stick to the egg.
Don't apply an overly thick layer of egg wash as this can lead to burnt areas and uneven baking. To add a deeper color and even more shine you can apply a double layer. To do this, add the egg wash first right before baking and then once again 10 minutes before your baked goods are done.
Murray's Best Egg Wash is an egg soap that comes in a concentrated powder. Safely cleans both market eggs and fresh eggs, taking the worry out of having unwanted bacteria on your eggs. Available in a 2-pound jar with easy-to-follow directions.
You can use several well-beaten eggs by themselves, or an egg wash: a mixture of eggs and milk, eggs and cream, or eggs and water; use about one tablespoon of liquid per egg. As long as the mixture contains eggs and is mixed well, any of these combinations will work.
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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