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    Home » Cooking Charts

    Pastry Washes Comparison Chart

    Updated: Sep 2, 2024 · Published: Jan 3, 2018 · by Jan Nunes

    Image of an unbaked pie crust and wording. Pinterest pin for choosing the right pastry wash.

    This chart has seven of the most commonly used pastry washes. If you are wondering what the differences are between washes containing egg, dairy, or plain water, then this chart will help.

    A chart showing the effect of various washes for baked goods. Finish, color, sealing, shine, and whether the wash adheres seeds, spices, or sugars to a pastry are listed.

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    The pastry washes in this chart are arranged to show gradual changes from top to bottom, with egg washes toward the top, dairy in the middle, and water at the bottom. A whole egg wash gives a lovely brown color to baked goods. It seals and shines well and toppings will adhere best with this wash. Just plain water seals any pastry well and helps with adhering toppings, but doesn't work for browning or shine.

    A wash that is specified in a recipe is chosen thoughtfully for what it needs to do to enhance the pastry, as some help with browning and some are best at adhering seeds, spices, or sugars.

    My personal favorite pastry washes are a whole egg with water wash and a plain egg white wash. Find the best wash for each of your baked goods in this chart.

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    About Jan Nunes

    Jan is the creator and owner of Encharted Cook. Her cooking and baking journey began more than 50 years ago and she specializes in showing how recipes and ingredients can work together and why. At Encharted Cook you can rely on proven recipes and take your cooking and baking up to the next level.

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    Jan Nunes

    Hey There!

    Welcome to Encharted Cook! I'm Jan, a seasoned cook with recipe charts, pro tips, and ideas to help you make delicious dinners. Over the years I've learned that many recipes are related... and if you learn to make one delicious dish, you can make many more!

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