What is egg wash? How to use it to add shine to your baked goods

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• Egg wash is an easy combination of whisked egg and water or milk.
• When brushed onto uncooked baked items, egg wash provides golden colour and shine to the completed product.
• The composition of an egg wash — resembling utilizing entire eggs or egg whites — can affect colour and shine.
• Visit Insider's Home & Kitchen Reference library for more stories.

Should you're tackling a baking recipe, specifically pastries, there is a good probability that including an egg wash is included within the instructions. However definitely, do not let that intimidate you.

Whisking collectively an egg wash is fast and easy. It is an essential addition for a lot of recipes because it enhances the looks and provides lovely golden shade to completed bakes. For different recipes, it could actually perform as an adhesive as properly.

For recommendation on how you can make an egg wash and when to make use of it, we requested Erin Emmett, pastry chef and founding father of Pistachio Culinary Studio, to share her experience. 

What's egg wash?

In case you've ever admired the beautiful shine and splendidly golden shade of a pastry resembling a do-it-yourself pie, croissants, or danishes, you've got egg wash to thank for that. An egg wash is just a mix of whisked egg with both water, milk, or one other type of dairy resembling heavy cream.

"Relying on the mixture and timing, an egg wash can act as an adhesive in addition to including browning colour or shine to baked gadgets," says Emmett. "It is also used for attaching dry garnish components to the meals merchandise like sprinkling uncooked sugar on pie dough or getting breadcrumbs to stay to a hen cutlet."

The best way to make egg wash

1. Crack an egg right into a small bowl. You'll be able to select to make use of an entire egg, simply the yolk, or simply the white relying in your objective. For extra on that, verify the chart under.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of liquid. Use water, milk, or cream relying in your choice.
3. Whisk to mix. Use a small whisk or fork to whisk the combination. Add a further teaspoon of water if wanted to skinny the egg wash.
4. Brush onto your uncooked baked good. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg wash on the dough earlier than baking.

Fast tip: In the event you're including an egg wash to bread dough that must be scored, brush it on first. Scoring after the egg wash is added will add a extra dramatic distinction within the look of the bake.

Several types of egg wash and their results on a recipe

Challah's deep burnished brown shade is achieved by a yolk-heavy egg wash.

SMarina/Getty Photographs

The composition of your egg wash will affect your completed bake. And there are a number of choices to think about earlier than diving in. "The extra fats within the egg wash, the darker the colour and fewer shine," says Emmett. "The much less fats within the egg wash, the shinier and lighter in colour."

For those who're utilizing an egg wash to reinforce the colour and shine of a dough whereas baking, incorporate the egg yolk within the combination. For those who're merely utilizing an egg wash to bind or seal edges, corresponding to making selfmade Pop-Tarts or hand pies, and you do not care a lot concerning the completed shade, egg whites alone will suffice.

Fast tip: There is no have to make two several types of egg wash in the event you want it to serve two functions in a bake. Merely make the sort you want extra of and use it for the opposite objective as nicely. It is going to nonetheless do the job.

Insider's takeaway

Many recipes name for an egg wash, whether or not you are placing collectively a pie, a batch of croissants, or baking a gorgeous loaf of brioche bread. Egg wash is made up of a easy mixture of egg and liquid, however the composition can range relying on the looks you are hoping to realize.

Molly Allen