Test Kitchen video tip: How do I choose the right bread wash?

Bread, biscuit and roll recipes often call for some sort of “wash” or glaze before baking. Sometimes a recipe may call for egg, sometimes milk. Even butter. Different washes are used to achieve different results. So how do you choose the right one for your project?

EGG: Using beaten whole eggs will give color and sheen to a bread. Egg yolk provides rich color, browning easily in the oven. Egg white provides a nice sheen.

MILK: Brushing with milk will help to color the crust, the sugars in the milk helping to brown it.

WATER: Water is often sprayed or brushed onto bread before it is placed in a very hot oven, and during baking, to give the bread an extra-crisp crust. Water added to an egg wash helps to thin the wash so it brushes more easily.

BUTTER: This will give the bread a softer crust and richer flavor.

SWEETENERS: Brushing with honey, syrup, etc. will give bread a sweeter, softer crust.

Cooking is fun – at least it should be! No matter how long you’ve been in the kitchen, there is always something new to learn, whether it’s a simple twist on an old technique, or a handy tip to save time and energy. In this series of short videos, I demonstrate a variety of kitchen tips, ranging from how to hold a chef’s knife for maximum control to using a spoon to peel fresh ginger. If you have any gadgets, kitchen tips or questions you’d like me to explore, leave a comment below or shoot me an email at [email protected].