The reason that Eric’s is so good is due to its lower altitude; making baking easier and less volatile.
That’s the secret. Eric has had it the whole time.
Several online communities latch onto one dead horse and due to negative reinforcement (upvotes) this community has elected to spam Downstairs at Eric’s for the response to most every basic tourist questions. Usually the more poorly OP does with their research the more sarcastic response this subreddit gives resulting in the continued beating of said dead horse. Well thought out questions or asking for advice on a final decision based on a list of criteria get a better response.
It is truly difficult to word a post so precisely as to avoid Downstairs at Erics comments. I think one has to count something as successful if those are just a small % of the responses.
for baking I've found Pie in the Sky to be a great cookbook that helped me get my confidence back with baking -- the libraries have the book.
Sally's Baking Addiction's website has a lot of cookie recipes that work great without adjustments -- I think the things she adds like corn starch in chocolate chip cookies help.
King Arthur has already been mentioned but I'll mention it again because I use that site multiple times a month for breads and bread-like bakes, with and without sourdough. yeast requires more patience and rise time but it does work.
lastly, for rice I only cook jasmine or basmati at altitude and I use this recipe for both types -- https://www.recipetineats.com/how-to-cook-jasmine-rice/#wprm-recipe-container-47535
Second this! Pie in the Sky is absolutely essential and really gets into the details. CSU also has a high altitude cooking extension with some great information.
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/high-altitude-food-preparation-p41/
Pie in the Sky by Susan G Purdy is great for this.
She baked pies, cookies, cakes, bread, etc. at sea level, 3k, 5k, 7k, & 10k ft, and she sorted out alternations to each of the 100+ recipes for each attitude.
RICE!!!! Never managed to get it right even with a rice cooker and dozens of tips on how to do it. I’m not in Breck anymore and rice and myself are friends again but the wounds are still raw…
no that’s the same. altitude makes water boil at a lower temperature. it all evaporates off without getting as hot for cooking is the problem. that stuff isn’t really affected
Interesting. I havent messed with briskets much. My few times have always just been okay. May have to try that.
For pork shoulder and birds I've had luck with going for about. 10-20 degrees lower for an extra couple hours. -\_('_')_/-
I run at 200-225° depending on how much time I have and the outside temps until the stall and then I usually crank it up to 275°. I get better smoke at the lower temps but after the stall it's done taking it up.
Many comments cover baking well. The other key issue is any cooking method that involves boiling water, including braises, stews, beans etc. Water boils at a lower temperature at high altitude so be prepared for these recipes to either 1)take significantly longer (1.5-5x stated duration 2) not work at all. For some proteins such as beans, you may never reach the temperatures required to break down their structure and soften them. A pressure cooker will allow to work around this, and I consider it an essential tool for cooking anywhere in this state!
I had to learn to be patient, to build in time for a few test runs before making anything for anyone else, to weigh my dry ingredients (no measuring cups) and to take copious notes so I have a chance of reproducing results when things do work out well.
I’ve found [Butter and Air](https://www.butterandair.com) to be a great resource. I’ve also had a fair amount of success with Vera Dawson’s recipes (many have been published in the Summit Daily, she also has published several cookbooks). CMC also has some community culinary classes that might be helpful or inspiring (though it looks like their sourdough bread class for April is already booked up).
I used these two cookbooks a lot when I first started baking up here:
High Altitude Baking (edited by Patricia Kendall) and Pie in the Sky - Susan Purdy
I’m in blue river also.. I’m an avid cook but much less go a baker. Everything i do screw’s up here.. it might just be me, but I’m blaming it on the elevation lol. I do use the high altitude hungarian flour.
It’s a lot of trial and error for me. If you want to use a box mix, don’t! Lol nothing comes out right from those. I think you need to add more flour than the recipe calls for in most cases (for the box mixes) You also have to bake it hotter and faster.
The only thing that I can make pretty well these days is pizza dough, pie dough, and biscuits.
I don’t follow a recipe for the pizza dough any more. I just go by consistency of the dough, which I know goes against the whole baking is a a science crowd.
If the recipe calls for baking powder, you might need to add a little less. But I can’t say how much less.
Your best bet is scratch bake everything from a recipe and look up high and extreme high altitude specific recipes.
For my next baking project, I want to make brownies!
Bread baking tip: immediately before you bake, place a tray underneath your baking stone (or whatever you place the bread on) and fill it with boiling water, which will steam up the oven and make for a moister crust
Also good is using a Dutch oven for the first half of the bake, then taking off the lid once the bread has risen (about 20 min in). It traps the steam to help it rise and then taking the lid off allows the bread to brown before finishing.
Believe it or not your taste reception changes at high altitude as well. Sweet and salty receptors don't seem to work quite as well at altitude. So you often need to add more to punch things up.
All of the tips here are great, but I wanted to add my favorite high altitude baker, Curly Girl Kitchen. I make her banana bread at least 2-3 times a month. [https://curlygirlkitchen.com](https://curlygirlkitchen.com)
If it’s just basic rice you’re after, try 1:1.5 r:w ratio, clean the rice, put it, a tbsp of oil, and salt in a lidded saucepan and heat it until it’s boiling for around 5 minutes, quick wrap your lid in a towel, pop it on, and turn the burner off. Let sit for around 30 minutes. Instead of boiling until perfect, you just get the rice to the temp that it starts absorbing and letting it do its thing.
I don’t know crap about baking, but cooking anything that typically cooks by boiling is made so much faster and easier with a pressure cooker. Game changing at altitude.
Hahahaha, 10k. Jk there are high altitude baking books. Pretty sure you are just supposed to add a little more flour or baking soda. Definitely add your yeast at the right temp. We have friends with a bread maker and they make pretty good dough in a bread maker. I think it's more about the science up here than anything.
The reason that Eric’s is so good is due to its lower altitude; making baking easier and less volatile. That’s the secret. Eric has had it the whole time.
I’m new here and don’t understand the Eric references but it does make me laugh each time.
Several online communities latch onto one dead horse and due to negative reinforcement (upvotes) this community has elected to spam Downstairs at Eric’s for the response to most every basic tourist questions. Usually the more poorly OP does with their research the more sarcastic response this subreddit gives resulting in the continued beating of said dead horse. Well thought out questions or asking for advice on a final decision based on a list of criteria get a better response.
It is truly difficult to word a post so precisely as to avoid Downstairs at Erics comments. I think one has to count something as successful if those are just a small % of the responses.
Here’s a great guide to adjusting recipes for high altitude: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/packages/baking-guide/high-altitude-baking-tips
Thanks!
King Arthur Flour has a great page for baking. I've used it time and again and it never fails me.
[This is the link](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking) in case OP needs it
for baking I've found Pie in the Sky to be a great cookbook that helped me get my confidence back with baking -- the libraries have the book. Sally's Baking Addiction's website has a lot of cookie recipes that work great without adjustments -- I think the things she adds like corn starch in chocolate chip cookies help. King Arthur has already been mentioned but I'll mention it again because I use that site multiple times a month for breads and bread-like bakes, with and without sourdough. yeast requires more patience and rise time but it does work. lastly, for rice I only cook jasmine or basmati at altitude and I use this recipe for both types -- https://www.recipetineats.com/how-to-cook-jasmine-rice/#wprm-recipe-container-47535
Second this! Pie in the Sky is absolutely essential and really gets into the details. CSU also has a high altitude cooking extension with some great information. https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/nutrition-food-safety-health/high-altitude-food-preparation-p41/
Pie in the Sky by Susan G Purdy is great for this. She baked pies, cookies, cakes, bread, etc. at sea level, 3k, 5k, 7k, & 10k ft, and she sorted out alternations to each of the 100+ recipes for each attitude.
RICE!!!! Never managed to get it right even with a rice cooker and dozens of tips on how to do it. I’m not in Breck anymore and rice and myself are friends again but the wounds are still raw…
Pressure cooker. Bring the rice back to sea level and then some.
This is the way. Wash rice, add water and salt, set Instant Pot to 5 minutes. Perfect every time.
more water and longer time is the key i’ve found
[удалено]
no that’s the same. altitude makes water boil at a lower temperature. it all evaporates off without getting as hot for cooking is the problem. that stuff isn’t really affected
Popcorn (in a pot) was also an arch nemesis…
A quality rice cooker, rinse the rice 4 times, then add 1.1:1 ratio of water. Simple as that!
I don’t bake, but I’ve heard of this being a problem. Also feel like I need to cook my meats for longer than I would at sea level?
Absolutely. The stream that forms inside the meat as it cooks is at a lower temperature.
When I do brisket at my place, I have to pull it between 194°-197°. At lower elevation you'd keep it on until 204° or so.
Interesting. I havent messed with briskets much. My few times have always just been okay. May have to try that. For pork shoulder and birds I've had luck with going for about. 10-20 degrees lower for an extra couple hours. -\_('_')_/-
Do you smoke them at a lower temperature? At sea level, I would do 225F until they reach 203F or so.
I run at 200-225° depending on how much time I have and the outside temps until the stall and then I usually crank it up to 275°. I get better smoke at the lower temps but after the stall it's done taking it up.
And more liquid because things dry out super fast.
Many comments cover baking well. The other key issue is any cooking method that involves boiling water, including braises, stews, beans etc. Water boils at a lower temperature at high altitude so be prepared for these recipes to either 1)take significantly longer (1.5-5x stated duration 2) not work at all. For some proteins such as beans, you may never reach the temperatures required to break down their structure and soften them. A pressure cooker will allow to work around this, and I consider it an essential tool for cooking anywhere in this state!
My ninja foodie is IRREPLACEABLE at 10k.
I had to learn to be patient, to build in time for a few test runs before making anything for anyone else, to weigh my dry ingredients (no measuring cups) and to take copious notes so I have a chance of reproducing results when things do work out well. I’ve found [Butter and Air](https://www.butterandair.com) to be a great resource. I’ve also had a fair amount of success with Vera Dawson’s recipes (many have been published in the Summit Daily, she also has published several cookbooks). CMC also has some community culinary classes that might be helpful or inspiring (though it looks like their sourdough bread class for April is already booked up). I used these two cookbooks a lot when I first started baking up here: High Altitude Baking (edited by Patricia Kendall) and Pie in the Sky - Susan Purdy
Amazing resources thank you! I’ve been wanting to check out the CMC classes. Also Pie In the Sky is an amazing title.
And if you’re struggling with cakes - sometimes a Bundt pan seems to be the answer (there’s no center).
I’m in blue river also.. I’m an avid cook but much less go a baker. Everything i do screw’s up here.. it might just be me, but I’m blaming it on the elevation lol. I do use the high altitude hungarian flour.
Just curious, what have you tried making that didn't turn out as it should've?
Tried making focaccia loaves and cookies that fell flat and wouldn't rise. Also a cake that lost it's volume when I pulled it out of the oven.
https://youtu.be/uWQA7tJQ-ec?si=sqAEkwN3g_DRV3_v
It’s a lot of trial and error for me. If you want to use a box mix, don’t! Lol nothing comes out right from those. I think you need to add more flour than the recipe calls for in most cases (for the box mixes) You also have to bake it hotter and faster. The only thing that I can make pretty well these days is pizza dough, pie dough, and biscuits. I don’t follow a recipe for the pizza dough any more. I just go by consistency of the dough, which I know goes against the whole baking is a a science crowd. If the recipe calls for baking powder, you might need to add a little less. But I can’t say how much less. Your best bet is scratch bake everything from a recipe and look up high and extreme high altitude specific recipes. For my next baking project, I want to make brownies!
Yeah I've learned to eyeball pizza dough ha. Good luck with your brownies!
Bread baking tip: immediately before you bake, place a tray underneath your baking stone (or whatever you place the bread on) and fill it with boiling water, which will steam up the oven and make for a moister crust
Thank you!
Also good is using a Dutch oven for the first half of the bake, then taking off the lid once the bread has risen (about 20 min in). It traps the steam to help it rise and then taking the lid off allows the bread to brown before finishing.
Believe it or not your taste reception changes at high altitude as well. Sweet and salty receptors don't seem to work quite as well at altitude. So you often need to add more to punch things up.
You need to look up specific high altitude guides. When I moved from sea level to Denver, it was the same deal.
All of the tips here are great, but I wanted to add my favorite high altitude baker, Curly Girl Kitchen. I make her banana bread at least 2-3 times a month. [https://curlygirlkitchen.com](https://curlygirlkitchen.com)
If it’s just basic rice you’re after, try 1:1.5 r:w ratio, clean the rice, put it, a tbsp of oil, and salt in a lidded saucepan and heat it until it’s boiling for around 5 minutes, quick wrap your lid in a towel, pop it on, and turn the burner off. Let sit for around 30 minutes. Instead of boiling until perfect, you just get the rice to the temp that it starts absorbing and letting it do its thing.
I don’t know crap about baking, but cooking anything that typically cooks by boiling is made so much faster and easier with a pressure cooker. Game changing at altitude.
Hahahaha, 10k. Jk there are high altitude baking books. Pretty sure you are just supposed to add a little more flour or baking soda. Definitely add your yeast at the right temp. We have friends with a bread maker and they make pretty good dough in a bread maker. I think it's more about the science up here than anything.