Why Bake in a Water Bath?
Have you ever wondered why you need to bake cheesecake or creme brûlée in a pan of water? As always, there’s a scientific reason behind this method, and it’s not just for fun. It’s to keep it creamy and dreamy. Keep reading to learn why we bake in a water bath.
What is a Water Bath?
A water bath, also called a bain-marie, is a hot water bath used to bake custards in, cook curds over, melt chocolate with, among other things. But what is a custard? A custard blends a dairy product like milk, cream, or cheese into eggs or egg yolks with an absent of or very little flour. The eggs are a thickener and a little sensitive to heat, so we need alternative methods to bake delicate custards.
What desserts bake in a water bath?
Most custards need a water bath to promote even baking and creamy texture. Some custards, like Portuguese custard tarts do not. However, your recipe should always tell you whether you need a water bath or not.
- Cheesecakes
- Flans and creme caramel
- Creme brûlée
A different type of water bath many recipes use is a double boiler where you place a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Recipes like, curds, sabayons, Swiss meringues, and just melting chocolate will use a double boiler.
Getting hung up or lost on all the baking terminology? Study up here.
Why Bake in a Water Bath?
Since custards use egg proteins to solidify the bake, a water bath aids in the coagulation of these egg proteins. The 3 main reasons to bake in a water bath are to promote even baking, bake using indirect heat, and to encourage slower baking and these all work together to create a smooth and creamy texture.
Promotes Even Baking
Ovens are not always reliable. You have hot spots and inconsistent temperature. What is consistent is the temperature of the water and having consistent temperature surrounding delicate custards, promotes even baking. Even baking will lead to silkier and smoother texture.
Uses Indirect Heat
Egg proteins are very sensitive to heat and need to be treated carefully, which why using the indirect heating method of a water bath really helps. The temperature of the water will never reach above 212*F and heat by water is much less harsh than direct oven heat. The steam from the water also helps prevents the tops from drying out and cracking while also giving rise to cheesecakes.
Encourages Slower Baking
Since you’re already baking at a low temperature AND the water doesn’t reach higher than 212*F, your custards are going to bake slowly. Slow and steady wins the race with custards because a slow coagulation of egg proteins release better flavors.
