Description
This simple egg wash recipe provides a gorgeous golden sheen and crisp texture to pastries and breads, elevating homemade baked goods with a professional finish. It’s a fundamental technique cherished by home cooks for adding color, shine, and sealing pastry dough.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large egg (about 50 g)
- 1.5 tablespoons whole milk (or water, cream, or almond milk)
- Pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
- Crack the Egg: Break one large egg into a small bowl, ensuring no shell fragments.
- Add Liquid: Pour in 1 to 2 tablespoons of your chosen liquid (water, milk, or cream); start with 1 tablespoon and adjust until the mixture spreads easily.
- Whisk Thoroughly: Use a fork or whisk to beat the mixture until the yolk and white are fully combined, uniform, and slightly frothy (1-2 minutes). Add an extra 0.5 teaspoon liquid if too thick.
- Strain Mixture (Optional): For a smooth, streak-free application, pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any unwhisked bits.
- Apply to Dough: Using a soft-bristled pastry brush, lightly coat your unbaked dough or pastry with an even, thin layer just before baking.
Notes
For a richer hue, use organic eggs or milk/cream. For an intense shine, use just the egg yolk. For a lighter, crisper shine, use just the egg white. Streaky finishes often mean the wash was not whisked enough or not strained.
- Prep Time: 3 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Baking Component
- Method: Whisking, Mixing
- Cuisine: General
Nutrition
- Serving Size: entire batch
- Calories: 85 calories
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 75 mg
- Fat: 5.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 1.3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 6.5 g
- Cholesterol: 187 mg
Keywords: egg wash, baking, pastry, golden sheen, easy, homemade, basic recipe, glaze