High Altitude Baking

So, I recently did some MUCH needed research (read, within the last ten minutes, after four months of wondering) and everything about baking here in Bogota basically clicked in my head. There are four basic rules that I noticed about any type of baking (cookies, cakes, muffins, quick loaves, whatever) that I had basically guessed needed to happen by the weird results I have been getting.

Number 1: lower the amount of sugar by 2-3 T. per cup.

Number 2: add 2 T. more of flour per cup

Number 3: add 2-4 T more of liquid per cup

Number 4: lower the amount of leavening agent (baking powder/soda and yeast) by 15%-25%

This makes so much sense now! Everything we were making was super sweet and got runny/dry very quickly. The scientific process goes something like this: Water evaporates more quickly at altitude, hence the need to add more liquid. When the water evaporates, it leaves the sugar in the recipe, which become very prominent. Flour is drier here because the air is drier, so more liquid needs to be added for that purpose as well. Also, there is less air pressure at high altitude, so the leavening agent works more quickly, but then deflates. Okay, so that isn't quite super scientific, but it's good enough for me to kind of understand the process better!

I am going to try and make my OWN yeast bread tomorrow, not one from the bakery. I am using a recipe from King Arthur Flour, which is credited to "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day". I am planning to use only 1 T. of instant yeast instead of 1 1/2 T. and to do it more by feel instead of exact measurements, since that is what I do all day at the bakery anyway! Speaking of my work at the bakery, I made pan integral (wheat rolls) all by myself today! For the first time, I had absolutely no guidance, and I was proud to really be able to do it alone. Now I know I can definitely come home and make them...after I make the adjustments for baking at sea level!

Tomorrow I will post about how the bread goes.. :) I can't wait!