Why might we put eggs in bread dough to bake bread? Why would a baker leave eggs out? What’s the difference between egg whites and egg yolks when baking?
The ChainBaker YouTube channel shares this methodical comparison video with four types of dough: No egg, whole egg, egg white only, and egg yolk only. All other ingredients—flour, water, yeast, and salt—are identical.
The step-by-step video explains and demonstrates clearly for beginners and may also be pretty interesting for experienced bakers. The man behind ChainBaker, known online as Charlie the YouTube baker, explains:
“…besides the nutritional benefits there are a few other good reasons to use egg in breadmaking. It makes the bread lighter and fluffier. The reason for that is the fat in the yolk that inhibits gluten formation just as any other fat would. This results in a looser dough that can expand and puff up more.
“The egg white on the other hand acts as a coagulant and sets the crumb making it bouncier and chewier in a good way.
“Crust is another part of the bread that is greatly affected by egg. It caramelises more and becomes crispier. Breads that contain egg should not be baked at very high temperatures as the crust may go too dark too soon.”
“Eggs also add flavour which works well in enriched dough. The yolk is the part that contributes to the flavour mostly as the white is quite bland by itself.
“But not everyone can or will eat egg. What alternatives are there? You can make bread dough light and fluffy simply by using any other fat rather than egg yolks. Sugar and milk will also act in a similar way. A roux like tangzhong makes bread super light and fluffy too. To achieve a bouncy crumb that an egg white would provide you could use some potato starch or cornflour in your flour mix.”
For sweet recipes, you can also replace one egg with 1/4 cup of applesauce, or a smashed banana in cakes and pancakes. Aquafaba, whipped chickpea liquid, is also a good substitute. From The Kitchn:
“Three tablespoons of aquafaba is equivalent to about one whole egg, while two tablespoons of aquafaba is equivalent to about one egg white. Keep in mind that a can of chickpeas yields about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of this liquid, so about eight to 12 tablespoons.”
Explore more about what happens if we leave an ingredient out if a recipe:Microwave cupcakes in a mug, an easy chemistry experiment.
Also, these 4 Levels food science videos and more eggs:
• How to make kawaii egg animals
•How to make ‘cloud eggs’
• Why do supermarket eggs look perfect?
FAQs
besides the nutritional benefits there are a few other good reasons to use egg in breadmaking. It makes the bread lighter and fluffier. The reason for that is the fat in the yolk that inhibits gluten formation just as any other fat would. This results in a looser dough that can expand and puff up more.
How do eggs affect baking? ›
In baking a cake, eggs are primarily used for two purposes—emulsification and structure. Egg yolks contain proteins called emulsifiers that mix with both fats and liquids, so egg yolks play an important role in ensuring your batter is smooth and well-mixed.
How do you make bread more airy? ›
Add Sugar
Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.
Does egg bind dough? ›
Binding. In cakes, muffins, cookies, pancakes, waffles, doughs and many other baked goods, whole eggs are used as a binder. Eggs are natural binders, helping hold all other baking ingredients together and increasing the viscosity of batters and doughs.
What is the purpose of an egg wash on bread dough? ›
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.
What does adding eggs to flour do? ›
Not to be dramatic (????), but eggs are transformative. When combined with flour, they add to the structure and texture of cakes, cookies, and breads. Egg wash is the secret ingredient for beautifully caramelized pie crusts and challah; it can even be used as a kind of edible glue for slivered almonds or sesame seeds.
What happens when you don't use eggs in baking? ›
Reach for some applesauce or mash up a banana.
Both of these substitutes add moisture to the baked good, like eggs, but they can impart a little flavor to the mix (your cookies will probably taste a little reminiscent of banana bread, which isn't necessarily a bad thing).
What is the secret to a soft and fluffy bread? ›
Here's How To Make Soft And Fluffy Bread:
Bread Flour Over All Purpose Flour. Do The Windowpane Test. Proofing At The Right Temperature. Use Weights Instead Of Measuring Cups.
How can I make my bread fluffier instead of dense? ›
Potato Flakes or Potato Water
Starch helps the dough by trapping the gas from the yeast in the dough and makes the bubbles stronger. This helps the bread to rise and be lighter and fluffier. If you are boiling potatoes, you can use the unsalted water in place of the water in your bread recipe to help out the yeast.
What makes bread so light and fluffy? ›
Yeast. Yeast is a type of fungi that acts as a leavening agent in bread making. It will feeds on sugar and releases carbon dioxide gas, which causes the bread to rise.
Eggs are responsible for giving baked goods structure, which means the amount you use directly affects the resulting texture. Using too few eggs will make your desserts dense, but using too many will make them rubbery. The explanation for this lies in the fact that eggs are made up of protein.
What does adding butter to bread dough do? ›
Butter (or another fat) can also be added to a bread dough in smaller quantities to aid in extensibility, yielding a larger volume, not to mention more richness, than a lean dough. As fat inhibits starch recrystallization, bread that includes butter will stay soft longer, increasing the loaf's shelf life.
What does adding milk to bread dough do? ›
The fat and lactose in milk help with tenderizing the crumb of the bread making it softer and sweeter. The crust of the bread also gets more caramelization. Be aware that bread made with milk should not be baked at too high of a temperature to prevent it from browning too much too soon.
Should I egg wash the top of my bread? ›
How do I make bread dough glossy or shiny on top? To make your finished bread or pastry shiny, brush on an egg wash before baking or a simple syrup glaze after baking.
Can you use milk instead of egg wash for bread? ›
If you don't have any eggs, or you can't be bothered making an egg wash, brushing your baking with milk or cream before it goes into the oven works great too. This technique is often used in scone recipes.
How to score a loaf of bread? ›
Scoring bread is easiest with a sharp implement. You can use a sharp paring knife or kitchen scissors to snip lines into the top of the unbaked bread boule. Or you can use a tool that professional bakers use to score, called a bread lame. It's essentially a razor blade affixed to a handle for easy maneuvering.
Do eggs matter in baking? ›
When added to a recipe, eggs take on a few roles. They may be used to add structure, flavor, texture or act as a leavening agent. Interestingly, depending on whether the recipe calls for whole eggs, egg whites and egg yolks also affect what an egg does during baking.
What are the three functions of eggs in baking? ›
In cooking and baking there are five main functions of an egg. They bind, thicken, coat, serve as a leavening agent, and emulsify. Egg whites can be whipped to create an egg white foam.
How do eggs affect the dough or batter? ›
besides the nutritional benefits there are a few other good reasons to use egg in breadmaking. It makes the bread lighter and fluffier. The reason for that is the fat in the yolk that inhibits gluten formation just as any other fat would. This results in a looser dough that can expand and puff up more.
Does egg temperature affect baking? ›
The temperature of eggs also affects the baking time: a cake will take longer to bake if a recipe calls for room-temperature eggs but cold eggs are used instead. It is easy to warm eggs; just place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
