How to make and use egg wash – Follow these instructions –

Remember the days of watching grandma bake pies? They always use egg wash, and when a recipe or cooking instruction calls for it, understanding why and how to use it will help you get the best results. Egg wash brings a pleasant color and shine to baked goods, and it also acts as a natural binder.

What is egg wash?

Egg wash is a mixture of beaten eggs and liquid (usually water or milk) that is brushed onto baked goods such as pastries before baking. It adds shine and color and helps seal edges. When a recipe or cooking instruction calls for egg wash, understanding why and how to use it will help you get the best results.

How to use egg wash

Egg liquid can be used not only for pastries, but also for other foods. Duchess potatoes, for example, are often brushed with egg wash before baking. When deciding whether to use egg wash, it helps to know what the mixture is used for. Seeds will stick to bread, raw sugar will stick to pie crust, and crumbs will stick to steaks. You can also seal dumplings or pasta with a simple egg wash.

Follow these steps to make the egg wash:

1. Break the eggs into a bowl and mix thoroughly with a fork.
2. Add 2 tablespoons water and a pinch of salt. Stir until combined.
3. Brush the egg wash onto the surface of the item.

You can use less liquid for a darker egg wash, or use milk or cream instead of water. Some people use plain eggs without adding any liquid. This creates a very dark gloss that can be a little difficult to distribute evenly.

Egg liquid can also be used in other foods besides pastries. Duchess potatoes, for example, are often brushed with egg wash before baking. When deciding whether to use egg wash, it helps to know what the mixture is used for.

for color

The fairy-tale glaze on the surface of the pie crust may be created by brushing it with egg wash before baking. Egg wash helps bring a golden brown shine to soft breads like dinner rolls, Danish pastries, cinnamon rolls, brioches, and challah.

For structural use

The egg wash can also be used as a kind of glue to hold the two edges of the pastry together, for example when making sandwich pastries, double-crust pies, empanadas or en croûte (in crust) recipes. This works because the proteins in the eggs solidify when cooked, forming a hard bond.

If you’re sprinkling sugar or spices on pastry or bread, brush it with egg wash first so the particles stick to the surface rather than spilling over.

shortcoming

The nature of egg liquid to stick things together has its dangers. For example, when making puff pastry, you need to be careful with egg wash because if it drips onto the edges of the pastry, it will stick the layers together, preventing the pastry from puffing up when baking.

Egg wash is made from raw eggs, so there is a risk of spreading salmonella. Baking will kill bacteria and your items will be safe, but you should never smear egg wash on items that won’t be baked. Plates and brushes used for making and applying egg wash must be thoroughly cleaned before being used for other food preparation tasks.

safe and clean

You need to wash your pastry brush in cold water immediately after applying the egg wash, as hot water will solidify the egg wash and the bristles will stick together. This is especially a problem if your brush is made with natural bristles. After rinsing with cold water, you can wash and disinfect the brush with hot water. A silicone pastry brush is better for spreading egg wash. It’s easier to clean, the bristles won’t stick together, and the silicone bristles won’t absorb odors or fat like natural bristles.

As mentioned above, egg wash, as well as any form of raw eggs, can carry salmonella, so special attention should be paid to cross-contamination and cleaning.