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.)

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.

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.

To “glue” seeds on home baked bread, use a double dose of egg white wash. Before baking, brush the risen dough with egg white and top with the seeds. Then, five minutes before the bread is done, brush it with egg white again and finish baking. The seeds stick (even when sliced) and the bread shines!

The standard breading procedure includes three steps: dredging in flour, moistening in egg wash (beaten egg plus a tablespoon or two of water or milk), then coating in breadcrumbs or Panko (Japanese bread crumbs with terrific texture!).

If you don't have any eggs, or you can't be bothered making an egg wash, brushing your baking with milk or cream before it goes into the oven works great too. This technique is often used in scone recipes.

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.

Different types of egg wash

It can be just a whole egg, just the white, just the yolk, or a combination of any part of an egg mixed with water, milk, or cream. Some recipes even contain a small amount of sugar to aid in caramelization.

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.

What if I forgot my egg wash? ›

If you don't have an egg, you can use water as egg wash. Did you know that JUST Egg makes the best egg wash substitute? We've tried all the others – like milk, oil and aquafaba – and find that #JUSTEgg adds the best color and shine. Plus, there's no wasting an entire chicken egg for just a little bit of egg wash.

Other plant-based substitutes for egg wash include maple syrup, flaxseed, nondairy milks like rice milk and almond milk, molasses, aquafaba and various blends with olive oil or vegetable oil. But do yourself a favor this holiday season and brush that pie with some JUST Egg.

Another option is brushing with melted butter as a finishing touch. Is it better to use an egg wash or butter on your pie crust? We are Team Egg Wash (or Cream Wash). While melted butter adds more flavor than the washes, it is less effective in look; it gives a speckled appearance to pastry.

Only Egg White

Brushing on egg white will lead to a paler baked good with a very good shine. An egg white only egg wash is useful for brushing on the bottom of blind-baked pie crusts to create a watertight barrier between the filling and the crust. Or it can be used to help sugar adhere to pastry.

You can attach the toppings in two ways: with or without an egg wash. I think the egg wash adds an extra-delicious chew, and it helps the topping adhere better to the baked bagels. However, you can also dip the boiled bagels directly into the topping. Without an egg wash, this bagel recipe is vegan.

I use about ⅛ teaspoon (0.5 grams) of salt per large egg. I prefer it on the saltier side. However, you can reduce it down to 1/16 teaspoon per egg, which is about a pinch. Salt enhances the savory flavor of the eggs, but more is happening.

You want to make sure that the egg white and yolk are completely incorporated and thin enough to easily brush on your dough with a pastry brush.

Don't apply an overly thick layer of egg wash as this can lead to burnt areas and uneven baking. To add a deeper color and even more shine you can apply a double layer. To do this, add the egg wash first right before baking and then once again 10 minutes before your baked goods are done.