September 20, 2013 - 4:38pm
Anybody have experience with powdered egg whites/meringue powder?
I'm making beignets and was wondering whether or not powdered egg whites will work as a leavener. I'm already using eggs and yeast, but need an extra boost to make it a bit lighter. Will powdered egg whites work as well as fresh egg whites? Thanks!
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Powered egg whites will not work as a leavener without some work. You would need to re-hydrate them and whip it to stiff peaks then fold it into the dough. If your using yeast this defeats the other. I would use yeast or a combo of baking soda/powder and meringue (whipped egg whites). Besides that the addition of eggs to the dough will give the final product a drier crumb. Think challah bread.
Thanks for the response! In both your examples, you say that the eggs need to be whipped into a meringue for it to provide any kind of leavening. But some articles I've read say that eggs (egg whites, specifically) act as a leavener without any kind of whipping, which is why choux dough will puff up in the oven. Is this not the case?
The use of eggs in pate a choux is what stabilizes the roux. You cook some flour, water and possible some butter. It gelatinises trapping air. The egg stabilizes the trapped air that expands during baking. Here in my neck of the woods we have donuts that use pate a choux, we call them crullers. I like mine glazed and then dipped in chocolate. Its just how you want to approach making your beignets. Overall, have fun. Experiment. Post some pics of what you make.
Thanks manna, I will!
Powdered egg whites no longer have the same composition as fresh egg whites, hence the suggestion to rehydrate and then whip them up to provide some leavening. So no, they don't provide the same leavening effect as fresh.