High altitude baking: adjustments and tips

How and why does altitude affect baking?

The higher in elevation, or distance above sea-level, the lower the air pressure. Low air pressure can lead to batters that rise quickly then deflate once they leave the oven, or cause baked goods to dry out as liquids evaporate at a higher rate. At higher elevations, the thinner and drier air weighs less, putting less pressure on baked goods, which contributes to batter rising more quickly. This environment can cause baked goods to fall flat when you take them out of the oven, which is why a common modification is to reduce leavening agents when baking at high altitudes.

Another effect of lower air pressure is faster evaporation. When liquids evaporate at a higher rate, it can dry out baked goods and also create higher concentrations of sugar, since water and sugar bind together.

To accommodate for these conditions, high altitude baking will call for adjustments in baking times, oven temperature, amount of liquid, fats, leavening agents and even the type of flour you’re using.

What is considered a high altitude for baking?

High altitude is considered 3,500 feet or more above sea level. There won’t be a one-size-fits-all approach to high elevation baking as microclimates vary and require different recipe adjustments. Generally, for every 1,000 feet you ascend in elevation, additional adjustments, baking times and oven temperatures will differ.

How do you adjust baking for high altitudes?

Baking at high altitudes is all about trial and error. Adapt for baking at high altitudes by solving the problems you see in the result. Each ingredient works together to give a baked good height, texture and flavor.

Think of it as a seesaw or a set of scales. When you add liquid, you may need to adjust the flour. If you reduce sugar, chances are you’ll need to add liquid or fat as a binding agent. Most high altitude baking adjustments will also involve changes to oven temperature and baking times, but it’s best to begin with one adjustment at a time to see how it affects the recipe, then add additional adjustments if needed. Test any changes first to see how your recipe turns out before making further modifications.

High altitude baking adjustments chart

Baking tips at 3,500 feet

At an elevation level of 3,500 feet, you’re officially considered to be at a high altitude. At this elevation, you’ll need to make a few altitude baking adjustments depending on your recipe. When you’re baking at 3,500 feet, consider these adjustments:

• Raise oven temperature by 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit

• Reduce baking time by 5 to 8 minutes per 30 minutes bake time

• Increase liquid by 1-2 tablespoons per cup to increase moisture

• Add 1 tablespoon of flour per recipe for stability

• Reduce sugar by up to 1 tablespoon per cup to avoid dense dough

• Use extra-large egg in place of regular eggs for added liquid and fat

• For each teaspoon of leavening agent, decrease by 1/8 of a teaspoon to keep baked goods from rising too much, or too fast

Baking tips at 4,000 feet

To adjust for high altitude baking at 4,000 feet, consider adding a bit more liquid to your recipes, and watch your use of chemical leavening agents. Some suggestions for baking at 4,000 feet include: Raise oven temperature by 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit

• Reduce baking time by 5 to 8 minutes per 30 minutes bake time

• Add up to 2 tablespoons of flour per cup for increased stability

• For each teaspoon of leavening agent, decrease by 1/8 of a teaspoon to keep baked goods from rising too much, or too fast

• Reduce sugar by up to 1 tablespoon to avoid dense dough

• Increase liquid by 1-2 tablespoons for added moisture

Baking tips at 5,000 feet

At 5,000 feet elevation, the air pressure is even lower, and you’ll notice the increased rate of evaporation in this drier climate. To adjust for high altitude baking at this elevation, consider the following suggestions:

• Raise oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit

• Reduce baking time by 5 to 8 minutes per 30 minutes bake time

• Add 3 tablespoons of flour for added stability

• Reduce leavening 1/8-1/4 teaspoon for each teaspoon

• For each teaspoon of leavening agent, decrease by 1/8 of a teaspoon to keep baked goods from rising too much, or too fast

• Reduce sugar by up to 2 tablespoons to avoid dense dough

• Increase liquid by 2-4 tablespoons for added moisture

Baking tips at 6,000 feet

Baking at 6,000 feet and above requires some trial and error in most of your recipes. Breads that require yeast are most susceptible to these higher elevations, but there are several tips and tricks to adjusting your favorite recipes for baking at altitudes of 6,000 feet or more. Some suggestions include:

• Increase oven temperature up 25 degrees Fahrenheit

• Reduce bake time by 5 to 8 minutes per 30 minutes bake time

• Add 4 tablespoons of flour for added stability

• Reduce leavening agent by ¼ teaspoon per teaspoon to keep baked goods from rising too much, or too fast

• Reduce sugar by up to 3 tablespoons to avoid dense dough

• Increase liquid by up to 4 tablespoons for each cup for added moisture

High altitude baking tips

When you’re baking at high altitudes, you’ll likely see more success when you employ recipe adjustments. For example, filling muffin tins only half way can help you avoid batter from overflowing and using a Bundt or tube pan can help keep cakes from rising too much. Most of the recipe modifications for high altitude baking are intended to give your batter some added structure and strength while at the same time mitigating issues that arise with increased evaporation and moisture loss.

1. Use high protein flour

When using high protein flour, like all purpose or bread flour, your mixture will be in higher gluten formation, which means a stronger, more resilient dough. The protein in flour affects not only the strength of the dough but also the texture, volume and overall stability of a recipe which helps to offset the moisture loss and rapid rise of baked goods that can occur at high altitudes.

2. Decrease the amount of sugar used

Sugar not only gives baked goods their taste, it also tenderizes breads and sweets by binding to the liquid ingredients. The problem is, when evaporation happens quickly, you’re left with higher concentrations of sugar resulting in a baked good that’s too dry or crumbly. Higher concentrations of sugar can also weaken the gluten strands in breads and affect the overall texture and taste. Try reducing the sugar in your recipes by just a few tablespoons per cup to avoid these problems when baking at high altitudes.

3. Use extra large eggs for recipes

Increased evaporation at higher elevations can draw the moisture out of baked goods in no time. Adding additional liquid can help to maintain the moisture. One way to add both moisture and fat to your recipe is to use extra-large eggs. The added liquid, fat and protein from extra-large eggs will help strengthen the structure of baked goods since it’s the proteins in both the flour and egg that give baked goods their structure.

4. Reduce amount of chemical leavening agents

Among one of the most common high altitude baking adjustments is decreasing the amount of baking soda and baking powder of a recipe to account for the low air pressure that allows baked goods to rise more easily than at lower elevations. The degree of reduction varies among elevations but as a rule, it’s best to reduce leavening agents by about 1/8 teaspoon per teaspoon to keep baked goods from rising too much, too fast.

5. Use buttermilk instead of regular milk

Increasing the acidity of your recipe can help keep your bread recipes from rising too much when baking at high altitudes. One simple way to do this is to add buttermilk, which is an acid, in place of regular milk. However, if you do, you’ll need to adjust the amount of chemical leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder by about 1/8 teaspoon. You can also introduce acidity to your dough by adding honey, cream of tartar, vinegar or applesauce. Just make note that these ingredients may affect both taste and texture.

6. Increase or decrease oven temperature and bake times

Because air pressure is lower at higher elevations, you may find baked goods take longer to cook. Be wary of cranking up the heat and adding too many additional minutes to the timer. Most of the time, you’ll need small adjustments for high altitude baking. Try a slight increase in oven temperature by about 15 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit to account for the increased evaporation. Adjusting to a slightly higher temperature can help bread and other baked goods set before drying out. If you increase your oven temperature, you might also try decreasing the baking time by about 5 to 8 minutes per 30 minutes of baking.

How to bake cookies at high altitudes

Since cookies are high in fat and relatively low in water content, they’re less vulnerable to higher altitudes so you’ll likely need fewer ingredient modifications. In most cases, high altitude baking requires a shift in both oven temperature and time because of the increased rate of evaporation at increased elevations. Baking cookies at higher altitudes should use a slightly higher temperature and shortened baking time.

When baking cookies at high altitude, you can help keep them from spreading too much or becoming too dry by reducing sugar and leavening agents while increasing liquid and fats (adding an extra-large egg is a great way to add both moisture and fat). Cookie recipes created for high altitude baking typically call for more eggs and liquid to offset the increased rate of evaporation at high altitudes.

How to bake bread at high altitudes

Depending on the recipe, high altitude baking for bread is all about controlling the rise, so you’re not left with bread that rises too quickly and caves in.

At higher elevations, yeast can rise 25 to 50 percent faster, so reducing the amount of yeast and other leavening agents is key. Some bakers will also cool yeast by allowing it to rise in the refrigerator in a bread bowl first or punch it down twice to slow the expansion of gas in the dough.

Equally important is the strength or resiliency of your dough so it sets properly. You can strengthen bread dough by adding flour, switching to a high protein flour, reducing sugar or raising the acidity of the dough by replacing buttermilk in place of other liquids. To strike a perfect balance, play around with ingredients, bake times, oven temperatures and overall methodology.

You can also follow a recipe specifically created for high altitude bakers. A stand mixer, like the KitchenAid^® Artisan^® Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Flex Edge Beater is equipped with helpful attachments for homemade bread baking like a dough hook to further streamline your baking process.

How to bake cakes at high altitudes

One of the most common problems with high altitude baking cakes is a cake that rises faster than it can set. This happens because of the drier air and lower air pressure at higher elevations that allow chemical leavening agents to work overtime, affecting the overall structure of the cake. To strengthen your cake without affecting the texture or taste, consider reducing leavening agents while bumping up the liquids, fats and proteins.

You may see high altitude cake recipes using buttermilk instead of regular milk. The reason for this swap is to increase the acidity of the batter which in turn, also helps to reduce the power of the leavening agents. Cakes are also more prone to sticking in the pan at higher elevations. To help prevent sticking, thoroughly grease and flour your pans or line the bottoms with parchment paper.