Hmmm, Weighing Eggs?

[chesschef]

I came across a recipe where you first weigh the eggs in their shells and then base your dry ingredients weight on the eggs weight.

I found this an interesting concept so I weighed some farm fresh eggs and found the weight varied from 53 grams to 70 grams. That is a big difference of wet ingredients. So it is conceivable that this variation in weight could cause
inconsistent results in the baking process.

Does anyone else follow this process when baking? What do you think about this idea?

Thanks,
MJ

 

[retired baker]

commercial formulas are usually in weight, but the eggs are liquid from cartons, pasteurized or frozen sugared. i would never recalculate dry ingredients to match liquids, its safer and more efficient to measure liquids to match dry.

 

[chesschef]

Interesting so do you mean utilizing the baker's math where flour is considered 100% and then base the rest of the ingredients from this?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I came across a recipe where you first weigh the eggs in their shells and then base your dry ingredients weight on the eggs weight.

I found this an interesting concept so I weighed some farm fresh eggs and found the weight varied from 53 grams to 70 grams. That is a big difference of wet ingredients. So it is conceivable that this variation in weight could cause
inconsistent results in the baking process.

Does anyone else follow this process when baking? What do you think about this idea?

Thanks,
MJ

The traditional method for a Victoria sponge (which is not a sponge, but creamed batter cake) is to weigh the eggs in the shell, the use the same weight in flour, sugar,

I came across a recipe where you first weigh the eggs in their shells and then base your dry ingredients weight on the eggs weight.

I found this an interesting concept so I weighed some farm fresh eggs and found the weight varied from 53 grams to 70 grams. That is a big difference of wet ingredients. So it is conceivable that this variation in weight could cause
inconsistent results in the baking process.

Does anyone else follow this process when baking? What do you think about this idea?

Thanks,
MJ

A traditional Victoria sponge cake (which is actually a creamed batter cake, not a true sponge) is made by weighing the eggs in the shell, and using the same weight of flour, sugar, and butter. The individual weight of each egg doesn’t matter; since only the total weight of all the eggs is used, the ratio of egg to flour/sugar/butter remains the same.

For example, if a recipe calls for four eggs, and their weights are 72 + 69 + 70 + 64 = 275 grams, then 275 grams each of flour, sugar, and butter should be used.

The eggshell typically makes up about 9% of the egg’s total weight.

275 g x 0.09 = 24.75 g (total weight of the eggshells)

Subtract the weight of the shells from the total egg weight:

275 g - 24.75 g = 250.25 g net egg weight

To find the egg-to-flour ratio, divide the net egg weight by the flour/sugar/butter weight:

• 250.25 g / 275 g = 0.91

So, the egg-to-flour ratio is 91%.

Now, suppose the four eggs weigh:

67 + 64 + 69 + 64 = 264 grams

The eggshell still makes up about 9% of the egg’s total weight:

264 g x 0.09 = 23.76 g (total weight of the eggshells)

Subtract the weight of the shells from the total egg weight:

264 g - 23.76 g = 240.24 g net egg weight

Calculate the egg-to-flour ratio:

• 240.24 g / 264 g = 0.91

The ratio remains 91% regardless of the variation in egg weight.

 

[Jessie_Roos]

That’s a really interesting concept! I’ve heard about using egg weight as a base for dry ingredients, and it definitely makes sense for achieving more consistent results. The variation you found in egg weights highlights a common issue in baking—small differences can lead to big changes in the final product.

I think it’s great to weigh the eggs, especially if you’re working with farm-fresh ones where the sizes can vary so much. For recipes that rely heavily on precision, like meringues or soufflés, this approach could really help in getting the ratios right.

I haven't tried it myself, but I’m tempted to give it a go! Have you noticed any differences in your baked goods since you started weighing the eggs? Click here to get more info.

Thanks for sharing!