It really is magic. When the proteins in egg white are beaten vigorously, they denature and form new bonds, creating a tight network in which air is trapped. These bubbles bring buoyancy and lightness Foams, Sponge cake, and meringue.
But it’s not just fancy desserts: whipped cream offers pancakes and waffles a certain height and can turn a normal omelette into an omelette Puff omelette. Follow these tips to successfully whip whites.
1. Get ready for success
Start with eggs at room temperature (cold whites don’t hold air nearly as well) and a completely clean large bowl – even a drop of fat will be annoying. Some people add a pinch of tartar before starting, which will prevent overturning and help the whites achieve greater volume.
2. Start slowly
Start at a slow speed to break up the proteins in the egg whites to make them more elastic. Once they’re loose (you’ll notice they are more frothy – see below – and look homogeneous) start beating faster to take in air.
3. Know the levels
When you start beating, your whites look frothy, like frothy soap. Next they reach soft peaks where they briefly hold their shape before sinking into the bowl. Keep beating (if you may be adding sugar slowly to a sweetened egg white recipe) you get medium peaks that hold their shape but curve at the top like a witch’s hat, or as the French call it, because d’oiseau (bird’s beak ). Eventually you’ll reach stiff peaks that stand tall and straight. At this point, your mixture is fluffy and voluminous, like marshmallow fluff or shaving cream.
4. Stop at stiff
Don’t be tempted to go ahead: go too far and the meringue will start crying (i.e., releasing water) and forming lumps that won’t easily work into a batter. To fix broken, overturned egg whites, you can add an extra white and whisk briefly to absorb the moisture into the original group. But don’t go too far or you’ll be back where you started.
