The Biggest Mistake To Avoid When Using A Water Bath In Baking

Sometimes baking can feel overwhelming, especially when you are halfway through a recipe and realize you need to fill a water bath for your New York-style cheesecake or classic crème brûlée. If this is new to you, don't panic — you are not about to wash your mixing bowls. A hot water bath (or bain marie) is an old-style cooking technique primarily used for delicate types of custard-based desserts. Essentially, this involves filling a big pan with hot water and placing your smaller pan inside of it for baking. The hot water will pump steam around the oven, ensuring an even bake. Assembling a bain marie is pretty straightforward, but you do need to avoid overfilling the pan so that your dessert doesn't get ruined.

When choosing a pan for a hot water bath, it's important to pick one that is large enough to hold the smaller pan. Use a wider container with high sides, such as a roasting pan, and only fill it with about an inch or so of water. The water will rise when you place the smaller pan inside, but note that you only want it to rise about halfway up the sides of the small pan. If you add too much water, it could splash inside of the smaller pan and potentially ruin your very delicate batter.

A lot of bakers like adding the water to the pan after they have placed their desserts inside. This way, you can track the levels better and avoid any splashing. Pour the water in slowly right at the edge of the dish using something with a spout, like a pitcher or measuring jug. Stop filling when the water reaches the halfway point. Additionally, you want to be sure to use boiling water, as cold water will alter the bake time. Try using a tea kettle for easy hot water baths.

It's equally important to ensure the smaller pan holding your mix is leakproof. A water bath is often used to make cheesecakes, which are baked in springform pans prone to leakage. A common method is to wrap the pan with a double layer of foil, but this doesn't always work perfectly. A safer option is to place the springform pan into a slightly larger metal dish, like a 10-inch cake pan, and place both in the water bath. This allows the dessert to bake evenly, and you won't need to change the baking time. Simply follow the recipe's instructions as normal and take care in handling the dishes; you will have a perfectly baked ricotta cheesecake or layered chocolate flan in no time.