Submitted by ltlmccomas on March 7, 2008 - 8:02am

High Altitude

What is considered 'high altitude' in regard to baking bread?

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High Altitude

Why do you ask?  At what altitude are you working? Are there specific issues that you want to address?

I bake at 5200+ feet.  Some consider that to be "high altitude" but I have found that I make no adjustments in any of my baking because of the altitude.  I make adjustments in confectionary and preserving work due to the lower boiling point of water, but not baking.

Many commercial products such as cake mixes give "high altitude" directions above 4000 ft.

Hope this is helpful.

high altitude

No specific questions.  I just have never really had to over-think bread making as much as I am doing now.  I want to make a good sourdough rye and I am trying to consider everything before baking.  Thanks for responding.  I am at 4242 ft.

4242 feet

There's one other high altitude baker who posts here who does not make adjustments.  If you were baking at 10,000 ft or so I wouldn't venture to compare my experience, but at 4,000 some feet, my experiences might be comparable.

My advice would be to use a formula for sea level with no adjustments and be prepared to make one factor at a time adjustments until you have the bread you want.  My advice would be not to over think the altitude factor until you have conquered all of the other factors.

I don't do much rye baking - so I'll leave it at that.

Pat

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