High Altitude Baking
My family moved to Colorado in January and while adjusting, I stocked my new pantry and decided to go on a baking spree. What makes stress melt away better than sweets and butter? As I dug out my recipe books, whipped up all the favorites and taught my daughter how to slowly add ingredients to the mixer (sometimes not so successfully), something was bothering me… Why did that trusted cookie recipe flatten out….why did my cheesecake crack….and something wasn’t right about those blueberry scones….
I’m not sure if it was thinking about hiking in the mountains or getting sunscreen on my kiddo even in the winter, but all of a sudden I decided to research how high altitude affects baking and was grateful for the tips I found for adjusting my recipes to achieve great results no matter the elevation. For me, baking is fun, but if recipes don’t turn out, the process becomes stressful from the waste of ingredients and unpleasant outcome, so i needed a bit of quick help to make the process exciting again.
I have expanded my cookbook library and here is my quick list for anyone interested in new books— especially ones helpful on high altitude baking! Check out your local library or digital apps to read these great selections without purchasing!
~Pie in the Sky, successful baking at high altitudes: 100 cakes, pies, cookies, breads, and pastries home-tested for Baking at Sea Level, 3,000, 5,000, 7,000, and 10,000 feet (and anywhere in between).
~High Altitude Baking: 200 Delicious Recipes and Tips for Great High Altitude Cookies, Cakes, Breads, and More.
~Sugar High: sweet and savory baking in your high-altitude kitchen
~The Encyclopedia of High Altitude Baking (Like science and the knowledge behind things? Get this book!)
Favorite high-altitude scone recipe so far:
1 c. blueberries
2 c. + 3 T. flour
1 T. baking powder
⅛ t. baking soda
⅓ c. sugar
1 t. Salt
7 T. butter
1 egg
½ c. + 2 T. Buttermilk
Bake at 425 degrees F.. Combine dry, cut in butter. Combine wet then pour into dry, gently mixing until dough forms a sticky ball. Scoop out eight lumps of dough and form into a log on a cookie sheet. Brush with milk and bake for 18-20 minutes. Original recipe found in Pie in the Sky!
Awesome high-altitude pancakes:
2 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
½ t. heaping to 1 t. salt
2 T. sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ cup milk
2 T. veggie oil
2 T. melted butter
Combine wet to dry, and spoon batter onto lightly greased preheated cast iron. Add chocolate chips or blueberries if desired!
