Baking
How to make and brush on an egg wash
A beaten egg (sometimes with water or milk) brushed on dough so it bakes golden and shiny.
Step by step
- Beat an egg with 1 tablespoon of water or milk and a pinch of salt until no streaks of white remain.
- Brush a thin, even layer on the dough with a pastry brush.
- Keep it off cut edges of puff pastry and off the pan, where it glues things down.
- Sprinkle sugar or seeds on right away, if using.
How you know it's done
The surface looks evenly wet with no puddles in the creases.
Common mistakes
- Brushing on too much, which pools and scrambles.
- Letting it drip down the sides, which stops pastry from rising.
Simmerbee recipes that use it (6)
- Cinnamon Apple Galette
- Classic Chicken Pot Pie
- Classic Double-Crust Apple Pie
- Easy Summer Berry Galette
- Lattice-Top Tart Cherry Pie
- Three-Strand Braided Challah
In those recipes the word is underlined in the steps; tap it for the short version. In hands-free cook mode, ask “How do I egg wash?”
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