This Egg Wash Is the Key to Beautiful Baked Goods (2024)

FAQs

What does an egg wash do for your baked goods? ›

Egg wash is beaten egg used to glaze or seal baked goods or to adhere breading to foods like cutlets. Whole egg is beaten alone or with another liquid like water, milk or cream. The wash is brushed over the surface of goods like breads, pastries and pies to give them a shiny browned appearance after baking.

Egg wash is a mix of beaten whole egg and water (or milk or cream), which is used to brush onto the top of baked goods before baking. The purpose of egg wash is to provide a nice golden brown, shiny finish on your baking.

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.

Milk or Cream

According to David Joachim, author of The Food Substitutions Bible, the very best substitute for egg wash is milk or heavy cream. Simply brush the baked good with 1 tablespoon of milk or heavy cream for every ¼ cup of egg wash the recipe calls for.

An egg wash will give your pie crust a glossy finish. A cream wash will give your pie crust more of a semi-golden, matte-like finish. Skipping a wash altogether can leave your crust looking stark.

You can see the results: both of the egg washes, milk, and butter add golden color to crust, with whole egg adding the most. In addition, the two egg crusts have a satiny/shiny finish, where the remaining crusts are basically matte, with perhaps just a hint of shine on the milk and butter crusts.

Different types of egg wash

It can be just a whole egg, just the white, just the yolk, or a combination of any part of an egg mixed with water, milk, or cream. Some recipes even contain a small amount of sugar to aid in caramelization.

Nothing: For a crisp, tan crust, leave your dough unadorned. Skipping the egg wash results in the most matte appearance, so if you like that look, keep it plain.

Do You Need an Egg Wash for Bagels? Nope! Boiling the bagels eliminates the need for an egg wash. Instead, you'll simply sprinkle your seasonings onto the still-wet bagels as soon as they come out of the water.

Why add salt to egg wash? ›

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.

Melted butter can be used in place of an egg wash to create shine but keep in mind it will melt in the oven and seep into your baked good. I usually reserve melted butter to be brushed on at the end of a bake for something such as a biscuit that could benefit from the buttery taste.

Can I store egg wash? If you have some egg wash leftover after baking, you can keep it, wrapped in the refrigerator for two days. This is especially useful if you are doing a lot of baking over the course of a few days. Or, simply use your leftover egg wash to make some scrambled eggs.

Butter basting: Rolls can be brushed with butter before, during, or after baking. While it doesn't brown the surface as much as egg wash will, it does promote browning and adds a lot of flavor.

But let's not underestimate the egg wash, a small but important step that gives the crust its shine. Lending countless baked goods (pie crust, pastries, breads, and more) a glistening golden shell, an egg wash also helps seal the dough, providing a protective barrier from the heat of the oven.

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.

Other plant-based substitutes for egg wash include maple syrup, flaxseed, nondairy milks like rice milk and almond milk, molasses, aquafaba and various blends with olive oil or vegetable oil. But do yourself a favor this holiday season and brush that pie with some JUST Egg.