I've been searching for YEARS for a coherent answer. Most remedies have been almost black magicish. Thanks from the Mile High City, I can't wait to apply.
Thank you Chef! I took your advice (I live at just over 5000ft) and FINALLY! SUCCESS! All the cakes and breads I ever tried always failed, but now I know why and how to adjust my recipes. This is so liberating, I can't even explain it. Thank you!
I realise that this 3-part series has been up for awhile now, but I've recently moved from sea level to 6400 ft. This is the best explanation I've found about why my cakes have been falling in. Thank you!!!
Thank you for the in depth scientific discussion of what is actually happening to the ingredients during baking. Altitude impacts every aspect of living, especially at very high altitudes. I have managed hundreds of patients who have experienced the adverse physiological effects of high altitude. We live at 10,700 feet elevation. Using your scientific advice, I am going to adjust my German chocolate cake recipe. I have a Ph.D. in a scientific field, so I really appreciate the detailed discussion you've presented. Many thanks! Dr. L. L.
I just moved to truckee and struggling with my first baking here. Thanks so much for explaining all these and how I can adjust the recipe, it’s a life saver.
I'm currently baking bread rolls in Quito. 9350 ft elevation. First attempts, let us say were practice lol, lately i've been doing very well.. but instead of raising the temp I actually lower it.. What was happening to my rolls is the bottom would burn quickly in 15 minutes. Now I take 15 mins at a lower temp and then 10 mins at 170 celsius. This allowed it to raise well enough and by the 25 min mark left a golden brown at the bottom. I didn't think of adjusting the ingredients because the recipe given was based in Mexico 7250 ft elevation. But i'll try to follow this and see if it yields to a better texture to my rolls.. I want it to look similar to challah bread but currently i'm stuck at a sandwich bread texture.. Thank you for this video!
@@LaGueraGTOfound out manapua buns work at 8’000 feet I think the steam helps, rather than setting a timer while your dough rises you’ve got to watch it and catch it once it’s size has doubled since it rises so much quicker at altitude 2 cups flour 1 tsp yeast 1tsp baking powder 3 tsp sugar 1 cup lukewarm water Mix flour and baking powder together in a bowl then make a well in the center add your sugar yeast and water into, mix till it’s a shaggy dough but not all the flours mixed in (otherwise it’ll stick to the bowl) Dump onto a well floured counter and knead for ten minutes * Be careful the dough is sticky, there’s a way to move your hands so the dough won’t stick but you can cover your hands in flour and have a couple tablespoons ready nearby, but remember the less flour you add the better they’ll cook. Size of the buns depends on how big your hands are, roll dough into a log about as thick as your wrist and cut into two inch sections, roll out into rounds about the size of your hand and add filling (pork, red bean or sweet potato is good but I’ve put peanut butter and jelly in some for shits and giggles and it was delicious) then pinch closed and steam with the pinch side down on parchment or wax paper for eight minutes. If you don’t have a steamer or any pots/things to suspend them over hot water i discovered you can bake them at 400 with this recipe that doesn’t have butter or milk it kind of tastes like a sad dinner roll but depending on your filling it’s still delicious. It’s the only bread I can make up here that won’t collapse or become weird, hope it works for you
okay i'm 9 years late but Jacob! I am studying for a nutriton 240 final and I didn't understand high alltiude and i found your part three videos and it's so much more helpful.
Awesome info!!! THanks Jacob. I moved to Utah from California almost 10 years ago and have just finally figured out how to get my brownies right. LOL This really helps!
Fantastic explanation! I'm so glad I found your videos.I live in Mexico City, started a baking business since the pandemic started. 9 months later my business is booming and I needed to better my baked goods,:),,Looking forward in viewing more of your videos. Thank you.
Really cannot thank you enough! I wish I'd found this video years ago. And it was nice to see that you're in truckee! I'm from South Tahoe and now live in reno.
Mexico City dweller here (+7,000 ft)! Thanks for the tips! So, for pizza and bread doughs you basically need 5% more hydration than those mentioned on the original recipes? Thanks!
This video helped me understand the science behind baking in high altitudes. I moved to Denver from New York and am still struggling how to bake cakes in high altitude. I follow the advice of higher temperatures, additional egg, less sugar, etc., but my cakes still turn out flat and dense. My cakes won't rise in Denver but they turn out fine whenever I am back in New York.
Great video thank you. I have never had to deal with high altitude baking but I get a ton of questions from my website visitors about it. I will be referring them to your video.
Thank you for explaining this to me!! We just moved to Colorado (a bit higher than 6000 ft in elevation) and my cakes never turn out. I'm excited to try baking again with these suggestions :)
Thank you!!! I am at 5,000 ft and chocolate chip cookies are my nemesis and my family constantly asks for them. They tend to over spread and puff too much. I've heard to simply add one more egg or more flour, but that just makes them cakey and they don't spread enough. I like a chewy cookie. I am excited to try your tips!
This series is really helpful, Jacob. Thank you! Added bonus: practical science education! I just want to bake some fish or enchiladas or lasagna at 6000 feet, but I was glued to the screen for the baking info because I find it interesting. Or you make it interesting! Hahaha. Thanks again!
Thank you! I'm above 5,000 feet in Colorado and working with croissant dough. Recipes from sea level have been challenging. My goal: croissant dough sticky buns. Are there specific adjustments you recommend for croissant dough recipes formulated at sea level? I'm thinking I first need to tinker with baking temperature and water!
Great information! How about crime brûlée? I’ve made crème brûlée many times and it always came out perfect at regular altitude. Now I’ve moved up to 7000 feet in altitude, my crème brûlée did not set in the refrigerator like it usually does.
Imagine my fun at over 10,000 ft. elevation! I can't even smoke pulled pork, since the meat won't reach the 205 or so necessary to break down the collagen. Best I can do is smoke to about 170 for flavor, then finish for an hour or so in the pressure cooker. Thanks for an excellent video series!
this is exactly what I was looking for, thank you for the perfect explanation! what about a cheesecake? it's just got 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 16 oz cream cheese, 3 cups sour cream, and 2 tsp. vanilla. baked at 375 F for 35 minutes, then chilled.
Thanks Jacob! Great explanations and easy to translate to different altitudes. We live at 10,700ft I have tried other recommendations and my adjusted cakes don't necessarily sink but are dense in texture. I am thinking I just need to work on adjusting my water ratios. Also my bread was dry.. I read in one blog to add a pan of water to the oven when you cook the bread to stop it drying out too much, which I tried but it was still dry. Does that sound like a good tip? Thanks again!
I live at 6000 feet in a desert climate for 4 years now and I had to throw out all I knew. This helps a lot. Any reason box cakes work at this alt. and not home made cakes? I am a bread baker, but I face my risen bread collapsing nearly every time after I get it in the oven. thanks for the help.
Jacob I'm new to baking anything at 1,139 ft. For the bread, since I'm lower than what you showed here. Do I increase where you say decrease and vice versa? Where can I find the baker's % chart, if there's such a thing? We moved from 939 ft. altitude , to this new l, 139 ft. altitude. Plus we have celiac and need gluten free recipes!
Hi, I'm a lil bit confused when you started explaining about rising the oven temp while saying the boiling point gets decreased as the altitude higher. What I'm trying to say is souldn't the oven temp decreased when the boiling point decrease? Looking forward for your opinion about this! Thankyou!
I know, it sounded really counter intuitive to me too, and I had a hard time grasping the concept myself at first. The idea is this; as your baked goods rise in the oven, they will extend past the point of structural integrity, which is why they will collapse back in on themselves. The higher temperature helps to set the exterior structure more rapidly, so that way the dough doesn't expand past it's point of structural stability. It's the same issue as placing a loaf of bread in a super hot oven without any steam; the exterior of the bread will set too fast, minimizing oven spring, giving you a denser loaf because it wasn't allowed to fully expand in the oven. We're using this same concept with a lesser degree of heat application by raising our ovens 15-25 degrees at altitude in an attempt to set the exterior structure of the baked goods (especially cakes and breads), before they over expand and then collapse. I hope this made sense. Please let me know if you have any follow up questions.
I so loved your series as well, I share with my Facebook group that I'm in for high altitude baking :-) question Jacob, I'm in aurora co which I'd 5,600 ft would I bake at 6,000 or 5,000 ft? To which some recipes only have 3,5,7, and 10,000 ft, but mainly the 5 and 7 are very similar. Also, these adjustments need to be adjusted to every sea level recipe... How about cookies does the adjustments apply to all kinds of cookie recipes? I've been wanting to bake sugar cookies, but am afraid to do so cause I might mess up the recipe. Thank you very much blessings!
Hi Lupe, glad you enjoyed this series.For baseline adjustments, I would try the 6,000ft tweaks. But most importantly, just look for the visual cues we discussed in the video, and let them be your guide. If your cookies are cracked and dried, you need more liquid, and possibly less sugar. Corn syrup can also be partially or completely substituted for cookies to give them a chewy texture (remember that sugar binds moisture, which can cause issues at altitude).After you bake a few batches, if you're still having issues, let me know, and I'll help you trouble shoot them. The best way to do this is take pictures of the finished product, and then post a new thread on StellaCulinary.com/Forum, describing how they came out.
When you say liquid, I know you’re saying water but if your recipe doesn’t ask for water, does that mean you add extra butter extra milk which do you choose? I live at appox 7800
HELLO chef @Jacob Burton! I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. I've made some changes to a sea level red velvet. recipe due to the inconvenience I live at 7400 ft (mexico city) I RAISEd my milk by 5 tbsp ( instead of more pure buttermilk than my recipe recalls), decrease 1 1/2 tbsp of sugar and also lower my baking soda by 3/4.(using only1/4 ) I slightly increased my oven temperature. i baked into cupcakes, and a 7 in cake. and they didn't collapse however my cupcakes didn't domed so much, and they rose unevenly ( they rose towards one side of the paper liners, with an inclination) The cake rose more than the cupcakes; but the same effect much more towards one side of the cake tin, they actually tasted good.but what would probably happen? when you mentioned increased liquid it must my pure water, not milk as I did? I'd appreciate if you could answer me as soon as you can. thanks
Guillermo Morales So this is a trial and error process. I would start by adding back in a tiny bit more of the leavening agent and scaling back on the milk by 1 tablespoon. See what happens after this, and we'll correct again.
Wanted to ask two questions... 1 - what about Banana Breads? Do these general adjustments hold true for a super moist banana bread recipe? 2 - Meringues at altitude! I come from Texas and my favorite desert is a mile high lemon meringue but I live at 7000 ft now and making a meringue here is my nemesis!! Have you done a video on meringue at this kind of altitude?!
hello! Thanks for the tutorial. What happens when the "liquids" in your cake recipe are only eggs and oil? Do you add water to the original recipe? Add another egg after all the sugar, baking soda, and flour tweaks? Thanks again!
i asked the baker at Grass Roots market in south lake tahoe years ago how he dealt with altitude and bread baking. all he told me was he adds a bit of gluten flour to the mix. does this make sense?
I"ve attempted this recipe twice. The first time the edges burned and the center didn't cook and actually caved in. The second time it came out SUPER dense. I live in Denver and it's the first time I've made a cake from scratch. Can you give me any pointers on what I should modify to this recipe?? 2 cups sugar (450 grams) 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (224 grams) 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (75 grams) 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk (240 mL) 1 cup strong black coffee (250 mL) 1/2 cup vegetable oil (118 mL) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Great video - quick question - if all things are equal (i.e. type of ingredients) and they are adjusted for altitude would the taste be the same from sea level an up. I ask this question because in my travels I have noticed that things like bagels, subway bread (don't judge me :) ) seem to always taste better at sea level. When baking at a higher elevation do you need to adjust flavour with salt, butter, ect. - Thanks Again
Ian Dingle There have been studies which indicate our taste buds and sense of smell are less robust at altitude. This can usually be corrected for with a little bit of salt.
Thanks for the info, I knew it was 1,500, not 15,000. I live at 7,000 feet above sea level and have had so many problems with making coffee cakes and banana breads. One of my coffee cakes exploded, all over the pan dripping down the sides and all over the bottom of the oven, ugh.
I was a science major and am a professional baker with 25 years of high-altitude experience. I have created a much easier and foolproof way of baking at any altitude over 3000 ft. without all the itsy bitsy adjustments and guesswork. My cookbook tells you precisely how to successfully bake at altitude. It's not experimentation or magic. My proven methods are based on vast experience and don't require all the additions and subtractions. Jacob, what altitude are you at? I agree that the information that you are disseminating is the info in ALL high altitude baking journals, however because of 25 years of experience in professional high altitude baking I have discovered methods that do not NEED a bunch of experimentation. My products all receive exceptional reviews and marks, and even many grand champion awards,
This isn't the appropriate way to advertise your book, especially since you offer no concrete information nor does your comment add to the conversation.
@@JacobBurton My cookbook has nothing to do with it. I will be happy to get with you and share what I have discovered, I am into helping people SUCCEED at high altitude.
Hi Jacob, Great videos! Do you do seafood? Would be nice if you upload some seefood videos. Specially on how to know when it is done! I have heard that it is very easily overcooked and gets rubbery. Thanks!
I have a couple videos on cooking salmon and halibut, which you can find here: stellaculinary.com/professional-cooking-techniques-video-indexIs there anything specifically you'd like to see?
I'll see what I can do. I already have a lot of stuff planned for this summer, but I'll put prawns and mussles on my shoot list. Maybe even lobster. ;-)
cat denni Conceptually and theoretically, yes, these tweaks, or at least the science discussed in this video series, will help solve some of the problems you encounter at 10,000 feet. With that said, the highest altitude at which I've ever baked consistently has been 7500ft. Once you get into the 9,000+ range, it's much more difficult (although not impossible).
I realize this is a really old video, but I'm hoping someone can help me understand. I get completely different amounts to add depending on whether I use the tbls addition or the baker's percentages. I expected them to be different, but they're so wildly different I'm not sure which one is right. I'm trying to make donuts that needs 180 grams of flour. We live 6,700 ft. above sea level. If I go by the tbls method, it says I need an extra 6 tbls (for 6,000+ feet) of liquid. If I use the percentages, it says i only need 11 grams of liquid which is less than 1 tbl. That is a wild variation. Which one is accurate??
Hi Jacob, do these rules apply to frying doughnuts. I would make the doughnut dough in a bread maker and fry dough in fat. We are located in CO @ 5000ft. Thank you in advance for information.
+Craig Warren No, you shouldn't have any issues with doughnuts. Speaking of which, here's a recipe that works well for me at 6000ft. stellaculinary.com/cooking-videos/stella-bread/sb-012-how-make-yeasted-brioche-doughnuts
I want recipes that have already been adjusted for 6,000 ft. I don’t feel like experimenting anymore. I experimented when I lived at 4,000 ft., and it was frustrating.
What changes can be made when humidity is high? When baking biscottis in high humidity they tend to come out moist when they should not be, even after cutting my temps up.
Try dropping your hydration ratio by 3-5%. In a high humidity environment, your flour will already contain a higher percent of ambient moisture. Let me know how your next batch turns out.
Hi Jacob, am from NY. When I visited my sister in Colorado and baked merengue for our BRAZO DE MERCEDES (rolled merengue with custard filling). It puffs and rise perfectly about 2 -3 inches thick while still in the oven but as soon as I took it out and cooled down, it collapsed and shrinks to about the thickness of a fajita wraps.. I was so embarrassed.... Please help me correct this... The merengue calls for egg whites beaten with sugar and vanilla until peak stage and then baked on 350 F until top is golden brown. Pls help..I appreciate it so much...
Yheng If I had to guess, I would say your meringue didn't fully set. You can correct that by cooking longer. You may need to also raise the temperature by 15F to get the meringue to fully set. Also, make sure you're using a stainless steel bowl that's perfectly clean and dry when whipping, and there is no yolk or other fat in the meringue (which can cause it to collapse).You can also try using powdered sugar, which is finer than regular sugar, and has the addition of cornstarch which will help keep the meringue from collapsing. If using regular sugar, you should try superfino sugar, or at least get the finest granules you can find. If none of the above works, you can look into using a whipped cream stabilizer or versa whip, which will help the meringue hold it's shape until it's fully set. Hopefully this helps.
I moved to Albuquerque New Mexico 20 years ago from California and have struggled with cooking ever since. I AM TERRIBLE AT MATH!!!! I wish he was giving us some SPECIFIC information. I just can't do the math for all this. What about some actual RECIPES? Otherwise, I can't use this.
I've been searching for YEARS for a coherent answer. Most remedies have been almost black magicish. Thanks from the Mile High City, I can't wait to apply.
Right on. Glad you found this video helpful!
Thank you Chef! I took your advice (I live at just over 5000ft) and FINALLY! SUCCESS! All the cakes and breads I ever tried always failed, but now I know why and how to adjust my recipes. This is so liberating, I can't even explain it. Thank you!
This is fantastic! Thank you for this 3 part lesson. Moved from sea level to 6600ft and it’s been a challenge. Amazing video!
Thanks Lauren, glad you found the video series helpful!
I realise that this 3-part series has been up for awhile now, but I've recently moved from sea level to 6400 ft. This is the best explanation I've found about why my cakes have been falling in. Thank you!!!
Thank you from The Mile High City! Needed this!
Thank you Jacob, I know this video has been up for a while but I just found it and I can't thank you enough.
Thanks. Glad you found it helpful.
Thank you for the in depth scientific discussion of what is actually happening to the ingredients during baking. Altitude impacts every aspect of living, especially at very high altitudes. I have managed hundreds of patients who have experienced the adverse physiological effects of high altitude. We live at 10,700 feet elevation. Using your scientific advice, I am going to adjust my German chocolate cake recipe. I have a Ph.D. in a scientific field, so I really appreciate the detailed discussion you've presented. Many thanks!
Dr. L. L.
I moved from sea-level of 50 years, to 2800 ft altitude and i am trying to adjust, thank you for the lesson, it has help tremendously.
I just moved to truckee and struggling with my first baking here. Thanks so much for explaining all these and how I can adjust the recipe, it’s a life saver.
I'm currently baking bread rolls in Quito. 9350 ft elevation. First attempts, let us say were practice lol, lately i've been doing very well.. but instead of raising the temp I actually lower it.. What was happening to my rolls is the bottom would burn quickly in 15 minutes. Now I take 15 mins at a lower temp and then 10 mins at 170 celsius. This allowed it to raise well enough and by the 25 min mark left a golden brown at the bottom. I didn't think of adjusting the ingredients because the recipe given was based in Mexico 7250 ft elevation. But i'll try to follow this and see if it yields to a better texture to my rolls.. I want it to look similar to challah bread but currently i'm stuck at a sandwich bread texture.. Thank you for this video!
Hello! I am at altitude in Mexico, moved here last year with my husband to his home town. Any recipes you could share? Thanks!
@@LaGueraGTOfound out manapua buns work at 8’000 feet I think the steam helps, rather than setting a timer while your dough rises you’ve got to watch it and catch it once it’s size has doubled since it rises so much quicker at altitude
2 cups flour
1 tsp yeast
1tsp baking powder
3 tsp sugar
1 cup lukewarm water
Mix flour and baking powder together in a bowl then make a well in the center add your sugar yeast and water into, mix till it’s a shaggy dough but not all the flours mixed in (otherwise it’ll stick to the bowl)
Dump onto a well floured counter and knead for ten minutes
* Be careful the dough is sticky, there’s a way to move your hands so the dough won’t stick but you can cover your hands in flour and have a couple tablespoons ready nearby, but remember the less flour you add the better they’ll cook.
Size of the buns depends on how big your hands are, roll dough into a log about as thick as your wrist and cut into two inch sections, roll out into rounds about the size of your hand and add filling (pork, red bean or sweet potato is good but I’ve put peanut butter and jelly in some for shits and giggles and it was delicious) then pinch closed and steam with the pinch side down on parchment or wax paper for eight minutes. If you don’t have a steamer or any pots/things to suspend them over hot water i discovered you can bake them at 400 with this recipe that doesn’t have butter or milk it kind of tastes like a sad dinner roll but depending on your filling it’s still delicious.
It’s the only bread I can make up here that won’t collapse or become weird, hope it works for you
okay i'm 9 years late but Jacob! I am studying for a nutriton 240 final and I didn't understand high alltiude and i found your part three videos and it's so much more helpful.
Such a great series! Very easy to understand! Thank you!
Awesome info!!! THanks Jacob. I moved to Utah from California almost 10 years ago and have just finally figured out how to get my brownies right. LOL This really helps!
Fantastic explanation! I'm so glad I found your videos.I live in Mexico City, started a baking business since the pandemic started. 9 months later my business is booming and I needed to better my baked goods,:),,Looking forward in viewing more of your videos. Thank you.
Really cannot thank you enough! I wish I'd found this video years ago. And it was nice to see that you're in truckee! I'm from South Tahoe and now live in reno.
Mexico City dweller here (+7,000 ft)! Thanks for the tips! So, for pizza and bread doughs you basically need 5% more hydration than those mentioned on the original recipes? Thanks!
Thank you very much. I live in Quito, Ecuador, +9000 ft and have always looked for this information!
This video helped me understand the science behind baking in high altitudes. I moved to Denver from New York and am still struggling how to bake cakes in high altitude. I follow the advice of higher temperatures, additional egg, less sugar, etc., but my cakes still turn out flat and dense. My cakes won't rise in Denver but they turn out fine whenever I am back in New York.
Great video thank you. I have never had to deal with high altitude baking but I get a ton of questions from my website visitors about it. I will be referring them to your video.
+Wedding Cakes For You Thanks. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thanks I have been trying to find a percentage to use for my recipes, this is super helpful 😊
So informative. Thanks a bunch! I’ve recently moved to 8000 ft and my baking has really been a mess.
Thank you for explaining this to me!! We just moved to Colorado (a bit higher than 6000 ft in elevation) and my cakes never turn out. I'm excited to try baking again with these suggestions :)
Brittany Hudson Let me know how your next batch turns out.
Thank you!!! I am at 5,000 ft and chocolate chip cookies are my nemesis and my family constantly asks for them. They tend to over spread and puff too much. I've heard to simply add one more egg or more flour, but that just makes them cakey and they don't spread enough. I like a chewy cookie. I am excited to try your tips!
I’m at 5280 and the chocolate chip cookie recipe from joy food sunshine is a winner! I bake from frozen at 375 for 13-15 minutes and they are perfect.
This series is really helpful, Jacob. Thank you! Added bonus: practical science education!
I just want to bake some fish or enchiladas or lasagna at 6000 feet, but I was glued to the screen for the baking info because I find it interesting. Or you make it interesting! Hahaha. Thanks again!
Thank you! I'm above 5,000 feet in Colorado and working with croissant dough. Recipes from sea level have been challenging. My goal: croissant dough sticky buns. Are there specific adjustments you recommend for croissant dough recipes formulated at sea level? I'm thinking I first need to tinker with baking temperature and water!
Thank you! I created my recipes at sea level and then moved to 5,300ft and everything is off!
Thank you I will try all your hints! 🙏
Great information! How about crime brûlée? I’ve made crème brûlée many times and it always came out perfect at regular altitude. Now I’ve moved up to 7000 feet in altitude, my crème brûlée did not set in the refrigerator like it usually does.
thank you! I am in Mexico City at +7000 ft elevation and my cakes dont always turn out right- now i know how to adjust my recipes!
Imagine my fun at over 10,000 ft. elevation! I can't even smoke pulled pork, since the meat won't reach the 205 or so necessary to break down the collagen. Best I can do is smoke to about 170 for flavor, then finish for an hour or so in the pressure cooker. Thanks for an excellent video series!
Excellent! So hard to find the why behind these adjustments. Thanks for the enlightenment!
Jared Wrathall You welcome Jared; I'm glad you enjoyed my geeky video. ;-)
I moved from sea level to 7,500 feet, so I needed this!
this is exactly what I was looking for, thank you for the perfect explanation! what about a cheesecake? it's just got 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 16 oz cream cheese, 3 cups sour cream, and 2 tsp. vanilla. baked at 375 F for 35 minutes, then chilled.
Hello. Thanks for your great explanation. I live at 8.300 ft altitude. How many tbs of sugar I should decrease?
Thanks Jacob! Great explanations and easy to translate to different altitudes. We live at 10,700ft I have tried other recommendations and my adjusted cakes don't necessarily sink but are dense in texture. I am thinking I just need to work on adjusting my water ratios. Also my bread was dry.. I read in one blog to add a pan of water to the oven when you cook the bread to stop it drying out too much, which I tried but it was still dry. Does that sound like a good tip? Thanks again!
I live at 6000 feet in a desert climate for 4 years now and I had to throw out all I knew. This helps a lot. Any reason box cakes work at this alt. and not home made cakes? I am a bread baker, but I face my risen bread collapsing nearly every time after I get it in the oven. thanks for the help.
Jacob I'm new to baking anything at 1,139 ft. For the bread, since I'm lower than what you showed here. Do I increase where you say decrease and vice versa? Where can I find the baker's % chart, if there's such a thing? We moved from 939 ft. altitude , to this new l, 139 ft. altitude. Plus we have celiac and need gluten free recipes!
Thanks so much Chef, this was a great series. I can not wait to adjust my recipes and try this out when I go to Bogota, which is 8,612 ft!!!!
Awesome. Glad you enjoyed the series. Let me know how your recipes turn out.
Thank you, it was very helpful. I'm currently living in the mountains and I couldn't get any of my brioches right.
Hi, I'm a lil bit confused when you started explaining about rising the oven temp while saying the boiling point gets decreased as the altitude higher. What I'm trying to say is souldn't the oven temp decreased when the boiling point decrease?
Looking forward for your opinion about this! Thankyou!
I know, it sounded really counter intuitive to me too, and I had a hard time grasping the concept myself at first. The idea is this; as your baked goods rise in the oven, they will extend past the point of structural integrity, which is why they will collapse back in on themselves. The higher temperature helps to set the exterior structure more rapidly, so that way the dough doesn't expand past it's point of structural stability.
It's the same issue as placing a loaf of bread in a super hot oven without any steam; the exterior of the bread will set too fast, minimizing oven spring, giving you a denser loaf because it wasn't allowed to fully expand in the oven. We're using this same concept with a lesser degree of heat application by raising our ovens 15-25 degrees at altitude in an attempt to set the exterior structure of the baked goods (especially cakes and breads), before they over expand and then collapse.
I hope this made sense. Please let me know if you have any follow up questions.
I so loved your series as well, I share with my Facebook group that I'm in for high altitude baking :-) question Jacob, I'm in aurora co which I'd 5,600 ft would I bake at 6,000 or 5,000 ft? To which some recipes only have 3,5,7, and 10,000 ft, but mainly the 5 and 7 are very similar. Also, these adjustments need to be adjusted to every sea level recipe... How about cookies does the adjustments apply to all kinds of cookie recipes? I've been wanting to bake sugar cookies, but am afraid to do so cause I might mess up the recipe. Thank you very much blessings!
Hi Lupe, glad you enjoyed this series.For baseline adjustments, I would try the 6,000ft tweaks. But most importantly, just look for the visual cues we discussed in the video, and let them be your guide. If your cookies are cracked and dried, you need more liquid, and possibly less sugar. Corn syrup can also be partially or completely substituted for cookies to give them a chewy texture (remember that sugar binds moisture, which can cause issues at altitude).After you bake a few batches, if you're still having issues, let me know, and I'll help you trouble shoot them. The best way to do this is take pictures of the finished product, and then post a new thread on StellaCulinary.com/Forum, describing how they came out.
I’m at 7000 feet and my first attempt at a cake was a disaster! Thanks for this!
I live at 7000 ft. So thankful for your video!
When you say liquid, I know you’re saying water but if your recipe doesn’t ask for water, does that mean you add extra butter extra milk which do you choose? I live at appox 7800
HELLO chef @Jacob Burton! I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
I've made some changes to a sea level red velvet. recipe due to the inconvenience I live at 7400 ft (mexico city) I RAISEd my milk by 5 tbsp ( instead of more pure buttermilk than my recipe recalls), decrease 1 1/2 tbsp of sugar and also lower my baking soda by 3/4.(using only1/4 ) I slightly increased my oven temperature. i baked into cupcakes, and a 7 in cake. and they didn't collapse however my cupcakes didn't domed so much, and they rose unevenly ( they rose towards one side of the paper liners, with an inclination) The cake rose more than the cupcakes; but the same effect much more towards one side of the cake tin, they actually tasted good.but what would probably happen? when you mentioned increased liquid it must my pure water, not milk as I did? I'd appreciate if you could answer me as soon as you can. thanks
Guillermo Morales So this is a trial and error process. I would start by adding back in a tiny bit more of the leavening agent and scaling back on the milk by 1 tablespoon. See what happens after this, and we'll correct again.
Wanted to ask two questions...
1 - what about Banana Breads? Do these general adjustments hold true for a super moist banana bread recipe?
2 - Meringues at altitude! I come from Texas and my favorite desert is a mile high lemon meringue but I live at 7000 ft now and making a meringue here is my nemesis!! Have you done a video on meringue at this kind of altitude?!
Love this thank you! I’m at 8,500 ft in the Andes mountains.
hello! Thanks for the tutorial. What happens when the "liquids" in your cake recipe are only eggs and oil? Do you add water to the original recipe? Add another egg after all the sugar, baking soda, and flour tweaks? Thanks again!
i asked the baker at Grass Roots market in south lake tahoe years ago how he dealt with altitude and bread baking. all he told me was he adds a bit of gluten flour to the mix. does this make sense?
Frying at different altitudes?
Thank you so much Jacob... I'll definitely give it a try...
I"ve attempted this recipe twice. The first time the edges burned and the center didn't cook and actually caved in. The second time it came out SUPER dense. I live in Denver and it's the first time I've made a cake from scratch. Can you give me any pointers on what I should modify to this recipe??
2 cups sugar (450 grams)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (224 grams)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (75 grams)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk (240 mL)
1 cup strong black coffee (250 mL)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (118 mL)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Thank you for this great video.
Any recommendations for altitude at 10,200 feet for baking cakes?
Hi great video. any advise for french macarons? I Live in 6500 ft. Tnx
Thank you. Very helpful!
8,000 feet here i’m a baker and cakes never do well for me this video helped!!
Great video - quick question - if all things are equal (i.e. type of ingredients) and they are adjusted for altitude would the taste be the same from sea level an up. I ask this question because in my travels I have noticed that things like bagels, subway bread (don't judge me :) ) seem to always taste better at sea level. When baking at a higher elevation do you need to adjust flavour with salt, butter, ect. - Thanks Again
Ian Dingle There have been studies which indicate our taste buds and sense of smell are less robust at altitude. This can usually be corrected for with a little bit of salt.
I am at 11,800 f.a.s.l. (La Paz, Bolivia) and is really really hard to follow a recipe up here. Any additional advice?
I live in quito.. 9,380 feet elevation.. so 8 tablespoons of water o.o
Thanks for the info, I knew it was 1,500, not 15,000. I live at 7,000 feet above sea level and have had so many problems with making coffee cakes and banana breads. One of my coffee cakes exploded, all over the pan dripping down the sides and all over the bottom of the oven, ugh.
I was a science major and am a professional baker with 25 years of high-altitude experience. I have created a much easier and foolproof way of baking at any altitude over 3000 ft. without all the itsy bitsy adjustments and guesswork. My cookbook tells you precisely how to successfully bake at altitude. It's not experimentation or magic. My proven methods are based on vast experience and don't require all the additions and subtractions. Jacob, what altitude are you at? I agree that the information that you are disseminating is the info in ALL high altitude baking journals, however because of 25 years of experience in professional high altitude baking I have discovered methods that do not NEED a bunch of experimentation. My products all receive exceptional reviews and marks, and even many grand champion awards,
This isn't the appropriate way to advertise your book, especially since you offer no concrete information nor does your comment add to the conversation.
@@JacobBurton My cookbook has nothing to do with it. I will be happy to get with you and share what I have discovered, I am into helping people SUCCEED at high altitude.
I deleted my cookbook's name.
@@dawnklein8329 By all means. Please post your methodology here in the comments.
great video thanks
Hi Jacob,
Great videos! Do you do seafood? Would be nice if you upload some seefood videos. Specially on how to know when it is done! I have heard that it is very easily overcooked and gets rubbery.
Thanks!
I have a couple videos on cooking salmon and halibut, which you can find here: stellaculinary.com/professional-cooking-techniques-video-indexIs there anything specifically you'd like to see?
Hi, Thanks for replying.
I want to cook prawns, mussles and lobsters. Can you teach me how to cook them?
I'll see what I can do. I already have a lot of stuff planned for this summer, but I'll put prawns and mussles on my shoot list. Maybe even lobster. ;-)
Hi Chef Jacob....would these changes work at 10,000 ft above sea level?
cat denni Conceptually and theoretically, yes, these tweaks, or at least the science discussed in this video series, will help solve some of the problems you encounter at 10,000 feet. With that said, the highest altitude at which I've ever baked consistently has been 7500ft. Once you get into the 9,000+ range, it's much more difficult (although not impossible).
I realize this is a really old video, but I'm hoping someone can help me understand. I get completely different amounts to add depending on whether I use the tbls addition or the baker's percentages. I expected them to be different, but they're so wildly different I'm not sure which one is right. I'm trying to make donuts that needs 180 grams of flour. We live 6,700 ft. above sea level. If I go by the tbls method, it says I need an extra 6 tbls (for 6,000+ feet) of liquid. If I use the percentages, it says i only need 11 grams of liquid which is less than 1 tbl. That is a wild variation. Which one is accurate??
Hi Jacob, do these rules apply to frying doughnuts. I would make the doughnut dough in a bread maker and fry dough in fat. We are located in CO @ 5000ft. Thank you in advance for information.
+Craig Warren No, you shouldn't have any issues with doughnuts. Speaking of which, here's a recipe that works well for me at 6000ft. stellaculinary.com/cooking-videos/stella-bread/sb-012-how-make-yeasted-brioche-doughnuts
Jacob Burton
Thank you very much Jacob, very kind of you.
I want recipes that have already been adjusted for 6,000 ft. I don’t feel like experimenting anymore. I experimented when I lived at 4,000 ft., and it was frustrating.
My bread recipe calls for 2 Tablespoons of yeast, how do I figure the 25% ratio with that?
Soooooo helpful thank you!!!
What changes can be made when humidity is high? When baking biscottis in high humidity they tend to come out moist when they should not be, even after cutting my temps up.
Try dropping your hydration ratio by 3-5%. In a high humidity environment, your flour will already contain a higher percent of ambient moisture. Let me know how your next batch turns out.
Thank you, and I will.
Hi Jacob, am from NY. When I visited my sister in Colorado and baked merengue for our BRAZO DE MERCEDES (rolled merengue with custard filling). It puffs and rise perfectly about 2 -3 inches thick while still in the oven but as soon as I took it out and cooled down, it collapsed and shrinks to about the thickness of a fajita wraps.. I was so embarrassed.... Please help me correct this...
The merengue calls for egg whites beaten with sugar and vanilla until peak stage and then baked on 350 F until top is golden brown. Pls help..I appreciate it so much...
Yheng If I had to guess, I would say your meringue didn't fully set. You can correct that by cooking longer. You may need to also raise the temperature by 15F to get the meringue to fully set. Also, make sure you're using a stainless steel bowl that's perfectly clean and dry when whipping, and there is no yolk or other fat in the meringue (which can cause it to collapse).You can also try using powdered sugar, which is finer than regular sugar, and has the addition of cornstarch which will help keep the meringue from collapsing. If using regular sugar, you should try superfino sugar, or at least get the finest granules you can find. If none of the above works, you can look into using a whipped cream stabilizer or versa whip, which will help the meringue hold it's shape until it's fully set. Hopefully this helps.
Yorkshire puddings at 6000’ MSL 6 more tablespoons of water ?
Thank you dude
I moved to Albuquerque New Mexico 20 years ago from California and have struggled with cooking ever since. I AM TERRIBLE AT MATH!!!! I wish he was giving us some SPECIFIC information. I just can't do the math for all this. What about some actual RECIPES? Otherwise, I can't use this.
Fuckng hell. MasterClass for the shit you need to know when cooking at elevation!
best vids ever
Bruh........ Thank you.
yeah...adjusting my mom's carrot cake from 100ft elevation to my 7200ft elevation has taken me over 10 cakes. fun fun.
🥹 thank you thank you thank you
Chef does this applies to Aspen, CO?
Aspen, Colorado has an elevation of roughly 7800Ft, so yest, this video would definitely apply.