Beating and folding egg whites - how and why?

[Casual Cook]

Hello,

I have not much before and need a few explanations. The receipe that I am using assumes thta if you are baking it... then you must already know.

Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry: What is this mean and what does it do for the food?

Fold the egg whites in: Like mix, but just a little? What is the purpose of folding?

Thanks

 

[Andy M.]

When you ae beating the egg whites they create a foam. The more you beat, the more they foam stiffens. When you lift the beaters out of the whites, the beaters leave little points of egg white where they pull away. If those points droop over, beat some more until they stay stiff. If you keep beating beyond that point, the texture of the whites changes for the worse. Don't over beat.

Folding is a gentle way of mixing stiff egg whites into a batter. It is intended to not break all the tiny bubbles you created when whipping the whites.

Here's a video on folding.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Beaten egg whites are used for leavening (to add an airy lightness) - and are folded in for things like angel food cakes and soufflés.

Whipping the egg whites creates millions of tiny air bubbles (a foam like Andy M. said) and when heated the air bubbles expand. Over-beating the whites will toughen them and cause them to set before they fully expand (reducing volume), and just stirring them into the rest of the batter, instead of folding them in, will deflate them - also causing a reduction in volume.

Andy M. gave you a video on folding - here is one for whipping egg whites

 

[Casual Cook]

Thanks guys. I am going to try to apply your explanations for the next project.