2 Minute Egg Wash Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best ratio for egg wash? ›

As you may have guessed, making an egg wash is very simple and requires only two steps. Beat one large egg and one tablespoon of liquid (water, milk, or cream) in a small bowl with a fork until well combined. (Alternatively, beat one large egg white or one large egg yolk with one teaspoon of liquid.)

Egg wash is the perfect finishing touch to take your baked goods to the next level. While a recipe for whisking egg wash might seem overly simple because it only takes 2 minutes to prepare, the secret to creating a beautiful golden-brown finish on your pastries, bread, or pies is in your egg wash's egg-to-water ratio.

Step 3: Brush or dip the egg wash.

Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of baked goods lightly with the wash. (Try not to let the wash pool or run down onto the pan if you can; it can taste “eggy” if it's applied too thickly, and drips on the pan can burn.)

For a deeper brown sheen with a crispier crust, use water. For a lighter, slightly shinier sheen with a softer crust, use milk or heavy cream. For a firmer, lighter crust with little shine, use only the egg white and water. For a darker, richer hue, use only the egg yolk.

We did find, however, that in addition to flavoring the wash, salt helps denature the proteins in the egg, making it more fluid and therefore much easier to brush evenly and gently over delicate doughs. We'll be adding a pinch of salt to our egg washes from now on.

The water thins the proteins so you get a nice glaze instead of a layer of scrambled egg. Older eggs have sometimes degraded enough that they don't need the water but it is easier to always add water than to make a subjective judgement on the state of your egg proteins.

Wash it whichever way you want. For a darker, richer sheen, you can make an egg wash using just egg yolks; or, for one with a lighter color, just egg whites.

If you don't use an egg wash when baking, the baked goods may not have the same attractive golden brown color. Additionally, an egg wash can also help seal edges and add some moisture to the surface of the baked goods, resulting in a slightly softer texture.

Butter gives baked goods the same golden, crispy finish as egg wash, with the added benefit of tasting like, well, butter. To proceed, first melt the butter over low heat—being careful not to brown it—and then use a pastry brush to sparingly apply an even layer to the soon-to-be-baked item.

Can I store egg wash? If you have some egg wash leftover after baking, you can keep it, wrapped in the refrigerator for two days. This is especially useful if you are doing a lot of baking over the course of a few days. Or, simply use your leftover egg wash to make some scrambled eggs.

Can I freeze leftover egg wash? ›

Both egg whites and yolks can be frozen successfully for up to a year.

A yolk-only wash with give you the darkest, richest color and the shiniest finish in the shortest amount of time. Due to its thicker viscosity, it's much more likely to hold brush strokes, or any other pattern you happen to make in it.

Using whole eggs over egg whites will lend a darker yellow hue to the cake due to the egg yolks, which is why white cake recipes will call for only egg whites.

One of my very favorite kitchen tricks is to brush a bottom pie crust with an egg white wash before filling. This keeps the filling from seeping into the crust and creating a soggy bottom. I like to avoid soggy bottoms at all costs. Egg white and water is also perfect for sealing edges, like when making a pie.

You can substitute with whatever milk you keep on hand, including alt milks, or an equal amount of heavy cream, half-and-half, or water—or skip it entirely and just use a whole egg. Note that the varying levels of sugar and fat in these product will yield slightly different results. Wash it whichever way you want.

You're not limited to egg whites. You can also make an egg wash with the yolk or the whole egg. Whites only will give a shine, while baked goods brushed with yolk or whole egg washes will bake up more golden. Egg washes can be made with milk or cream instead of water.

To make an egg wash, you typically beat an egg (or just the egg yolk or egg white) and then brush it onto the surface of pastries, bread, or other baked goods before baking. It adds shine and helps with browning.