How to Use a Water Bath
Some recipes call for a “water bath” as part of the cooking instructions. A water bath is simply a pan of hot water placed in the oven with your baked good as it cooks. This does not mean to place the batter into a pan of water, though! In this large pan, you place the smaller pan with your batter into the water while cooking. Doing this will provide two benefits to baking certain dishes.
- A water bath adds moisture to the oven and this is important for baking foods like cheesecakes, which tend to crack from the heat of the oven. They also help with a custard which can become rubbery without moist heat during baking.
- Using the water bath method also provides a more even, slower heat source than the direct heat of an oven which is also important for preparing foods like cheesecakes and custards.
To bake using a water bath, you will need a baking or roasting pan that is large enough to hold a springform pan (or other baking dish), and is also large enough to allow for water to surround the pan. If the pan is too small, you will lose a lot of the benefits of baking using a water bath. Add about an inch of very hot water to the baking pan so it surrounds the pan. You want to add enough water to the pan to ensure that the water does not fully evaporate during the baking process.
Maven Tip: When cooking with a spring form pan, wrap the outside of it with aluminum foil to prevent any leaking from occuring.
From here, bake based on the instructions of the item you are baking. Be sure to try this on a Blueberry Cheesecake or your favorite recipe soon! Hopefully, you will see no cracks in your cheesecakes and your custards wont be rubbery!
