Baking question

[Amanda0609]

My girls just started laying about 3 weeks ago

now my question is, I bake often and my eggs are still on the small side. Should I use an extra egg, whole egg or just the white? Will the extra yoke effect my baked goods at all? Thanks

 

[ChikeeMomma]

Depends on the size of the pullet egg. When mine first start laying I'd use two to every one of a regular egg. When they start to get a little larger, but not quite the size of my regular eggs, I then use those for scrambled or fried eggs, meatloaf, meatballs, etc. It still probably wouldn't matter if you used them in baking.

 

[Kim_NC]

Weighing them will give you consistent results. A standard large egg is 2 oz. So if a recipe calls for 2 eggs, then you want to weight out 4 oz of eggs. I use this method when we have pullet eggs (pee wee to medium sizes) or very large eggs. It doesn't have to be exact - just try to get within about 1/2 oz of the total desired weight.

 

[Amanda0609]

Thanks for the help. I don't have a scale and they are getting closer to full size. I used 3 instead of 2 last night and my hush puppies turned out just fine.

 

[kipper]

In baking, I find it's better to error on more eggs than less. It's one of the least crucial elements of most doughs and batters. I have never had anything flop from too much egg, and I once did it for a living.

 

[bigmike&nan]

Great advice to measure - even if you don't have a scale - break a couple store eggs into a pyrex measuring cup - check what two eggs looks like. Then use you hen eggs in the recipe. We have bantam cochins and even our grown hen eggs are smallish - but one look at that lovely golden yolk and you can imagine how elegant say a pound cake with hen eggs is over store bought... YUMM

All restaurant or bakery recipes are actually considered FORMULAS - each ingredient is weighed. It's the only way to get consistent professional results. Heck yeah I don't weigh at home - but if you were making 40 pound cakes or 600 cookies you want to be sure they come out the same, right, every time... Flours dumped into storage bins can compress, so a cup of flour can vary wildly in weight. That's why WEIGHING is so key.

 

[Amanda0609]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Bigmike&nan I know about weighing things, my dad was a professional baker for nearly 30 years, but he isn't around to ask anymore. My girls eggs are nearly the size of a large store bought egg now so I think I will be fine. Kipper thanks that is excatly what I needed to know. Better to go with more egg than not enough.