How to Adjust Bread Recipes for High Altitude: 9 Steps (2024)

Explore this Article

105 Recipe Ratings

Author Info

Last Updated: March 3, 2023

Download Article

1. 1

   Decrease the amount of white flour in the recipe. You may need to use up to 1/4 less flour than the recipe calls for because flour loses moisture at high altitude which creates a dry-tasting finished product. You'll know there is enough moisture your high altitude bread dough when the mass pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

   • Gradually add flour 1 tbsp. at a time if the batter is too wet or sticky. Your bread dough should be soft and easily handled after re-kneading.
2. 2

   Increase the amount of liquid in the recipe if using wheat or rye flour. Add 1 tbsp. or more than the recipe calls for. These coarse flours lose even more moisture than white flour does at altitude.

   Advertisem*nt

3. 3

   Add additional liquid, 1 tbsp. at a time, if the dough seems to dry. Your dough should be soft, moist and pull away from the sides of the bowl after re-kneading.

4. 4

   See Also

   Cinnabon Copycat Recipe33 Potluck Recipes for Your 13x9 PanCherry Coffee Cake Recipe - Inside BruCrew Life20 Impossibly Identical Copycat Restaurant Recipes

   Add an additional rising cycle. Good tasting bread depends on a long, slow rising process but bread dough rises twice as fast in high altitude locations. Bread dough that rises rapidly will have a strong yeast-flavor and a dry texture. For the best flavor, allow enough time for 2 separate rising cycles and never let the dough to grow more than twice its size.

   • Reduce the amount of rising time the recipe calls for by about 15 minutes or until the bread has reached nearly twice its size.
   • Punch down your dough after the first rising cycle is over. Set into a bowl and allow it to rise again but for half the time of the first cycle.
5. 5

   Add 1 degree of baking temperature for every 500 feet (152 m) above sea level. At altitude, heat molecules don't have enough energy inside them which results in a lower boiling point but also makes food take longer to cook. Baking at a higher temperature will set the bread structure quickly and stop dough from rising more.

6. 6

   Use less yeast if all other altitude baking adjustments fail to provide firm bread dough that doesn't collapse after rising and baking.

   • Reduce the yeast by 1/8 tsp. to see if you get a firmer bread dough. If you are unhappy with your finished bread, decrease yeast by another 1/8 tsp. each time you attempt the recipe until you are happy with the finished product.

Advertisem*nt

Download Article

1. 1

   Use more liquid by adding 1 tbsp. of liquid per every 1 cup (236 ml) of flour called for in the recipe.

2. 2

   Decrease the amount of sugar by as much as 1/4 of the total amount used in the recipe, since sugar causes flour to become dry.

3. 3

   Decrease the baking soda or baking powder if you notice a bitter flavor the first time you attempt a high altitude quick bread recipe. Reduce leavening agents by about 1/8 tsp. each time you make the recipe until you end up with an ideal flavor.

Advertisem*nt

Community Q&A

Ask a Question

Video

Tips

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

105 votes - 82%