With the onset of the Holiday Season, baking is many folks' minds. I love to bake. And cook. But living at a high elevation can prove to be challenging when it comes to something as ordinary as cooking or baking.
The higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure. And at an elevation of 9500ft. the air pressure here is L*O*W! This low air pressure means lower boiling points, things will rise more rapidly, and faster evaporation because of the lower humidity. The more common ways to adjust a recipe are to increase the liquid, reduce sugar, reduce leavening agent.
I learned to cook at elevation. And when we lived at 9000ft, I had gotten fairly adept at baking. It has been almost 20 years since that time and I have forgotten a few things since then. So now I am re-learning what I once knew.
To begin this process, I decided to do what the old prospectors used to do, use a sourdough starter. I try to use my starter about every 2 wks, though using it once a week is better. I store my starter in a crock jar in the fridge when it is not being fed or used.
The batter has a strong yeasty smell which is what sourdough is known for. I have read and been told that the yeast in sourdough is very healthy for a person.
The first batch I tried earlier this month, I made into bread. It was bit dense but quite tasty. The second batch, which I made into rolls, was not as dense but less moist.
I have been keeping notes on any adjustments I make so that I know what works and what doesn't work. I will soon be attempting cookies. Wish me luck!
Read more about high altitude cooking with hints and tips HERE! and HERE!
The higher the altitude, the lower the air pressure. And at an elevation of 9500ft. the air pressure here is L*O*W! This low air pressure means lower boiling points, things will rise more rapidly, and faster evaporation because of the lower humidity. The more common ways to adjust a recipe are to increase the liquid, reduce sugar, reduce leavening agent.
I learned to cook at elevation. And when we lived at 9000ft, I had gotten fairly adept at baking. It has been almost 20 years since that time and I have forgotten a few things since then. So now I am re-learning what I once knew.
To begin this process, I decided to do what the old prospectors used to do, use a sourdough starter. I try to use my starter about every 2 wks, though using it once a week is better. I store my starter in a crock jar in the fridge when it is not being fed or used.
The batter has a strong yeasty smell which is what sourdough is known for. I have read and been told that the yeast in sourdough is very healthy for a person.
The first batch I tried earlier this month, I made into bread. It was bit dense but quite tasty. The second batch, which I made into rolls, was not as dense but less moist.
I have been keeping notes on any adjustments I make so that I know what works and what doesn't work. I will soon be attempting cookies. Wish me luck!
Read more about high altitude cooking with hints and tips HERE! and HERE!
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3 comments:
Earlier this week, I listened to a story on CBC radio about a woman in the Yukon whose sourdough starter was 120 years old. It dated from the late 1800s, when her great-grandparents first came to the Yukon territory during the Gold Rush. Amazing!
450 ft above sea level here and, most of my life, I lived
right on the sea. Good luck with the cookies!
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