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Baking 101: How To Fold In Egg Whites

March 17, 2016 by Joy the Baker 24 Comments

Baking 101: How To Fold In Egg Whites

Baking 101:   a series of how-tos and what’s what when it comes to home baking.  The small stuff, explained. 

A recipe that calls for beaten egg whites can be intimidating enough.  There is enough fear around getting the mixing bowl dry and grease-free enough to fluff the egg whites to frighten even a seasoned baker.  Having to then fold those egg whites into batter can feel, well… like too much.  How does one fold a fluffy ingredient into a dense wet ingredient?  This is nothing like the time I spent a summer folding shirts at The Gap (in my imagination because I always wanted to work at The Gap because it seemed sooooo cool but wwhhhyyy!?), and also nothing like the time I spend four minutes trying to fold a fitted sheet before deciding that the task is 100% IMPOSSIBLE (because dammit IT IS! and don’t you dare send me a Martha Stewart link about it because I will not I will not I will not).  

What I’m trying to say is, folding egg whites is possible and sometimes necessary and if I can do it, you can do it.  

Baking 101: How To Fold In Egg Whites

How To Fold Egg Whites:  

  •  Get ready.  Gather your batter in a large bowl (it’s going to get fluffy), your stiffly beaten egg whites, and a rubber spatula. 

Baking 101: How To Fold In Egg Whites

•  Add a small portion (a spatula-full) of egg whites to the batter.  We’re adding a small amount at first to help loosen the more dense batter.  

Baking 101: How To Fold In Egg Whites

•  Using the spatula on its side, slice down the center of the bowl from the top towards you, bisecting the egg whites and batter.  We obviously aren’t cutting the batter, we’re momentarily and temporarily dividing it in two. 

Baking 101: How To Fold In Egg Whites

•  As the spatula is pulled towards you, flip it to the left, scooping up the batter to the left, and ‘folding’ it over the egg whites.   

Baking 101: How To Fold In Egg Whites

•  Bisect the dough again and fold over.  Rotate the bowl a quarter turn to the left, use the side of the spatula to bisect the dough and fold again.  Repeat until the spoonful of egg whites is almost entirely incorporated.  

Baking 101: How To Fold In Egg Whites

•  Add another large spatula-full of egg whites and fold in the same manner; slicing down the center of the batter and whites, folding over to the left, rotating the bowl and repeating.  

As you add more egg whites, the batter will begin to lighten and fluff.  The key is to fully incorporate the egg whites into the denser batter while maintaining some of the fluff of the egg whites.  This will lighten the batter.  

Baking 101: How To Fold In Egg Whites

•  Folding egg whites is a matter of technique and patience.  It takes time, simple folding, and bowl rotation.  The end result will be a fluffy batter that bakes up light an airy.  This is a great technique for pancakes and light cake batters.  Also really wonderful if you need to zone out in the kitchen and get a light arm work out. 

Happy Baking! 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. mrsmichellegoldsmith

    July 20, 2016 at 2:42 am

    This is the type of thing that really needs a quick video. I know there are probably loads on YouTube, but how about one from you, Joy?

    Reply
  2. Gwen Watson

    April 4, 2016 at 9:54 am

    Knowing how to fold egg whites is an essential skill for baking. The problem is, if you do it wrong it can ruin the whole recipe! These instructions work every time.

    Reply
  3. Kavita Goyal

    March 21, 2016 at 12:53 pm

    Folding egg whites into a batter is always very challenging even for the amazing chefs and requires love and patience in doing it. Trying to be a master even after years of practice.

    Reply
  4. Leslie

    March 18, 2016 at 9:39 am

    Egg whites can be so difficult. Not enough folding and your batter isn’t properly blended, too much folding and you lose the air from the beaten whites. I’ll have to give your quarter turn technique a try. It’s folding in the egg whites that has kept me away from making macarons for the last few years. Perhaps it’s time to try again with this information.

    Reply
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