---
title: "Egg wash: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates"
description: "Egg wash is beaten egg, often thinned with water or milk, brushed on dough before baking. It gives a shiny, golden crust and glues seeds and seams."
url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/egg-wash"
---

# Egg wash

Egg wash is beaten egg, often thinned with water or milk, brushed on dough before baking. It gives a shiny, golden crust and glues seeds and seams.

Also called Egg glaze.

Egg wash is a beaten egg, sometimes mixed with a little water, milk or cream, that you brush on bread or pastry before it goes in the oven. It makes the crust shiny and [golden brown](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/golden-brown). It also works as glue: it holds seeds on a loaf and seals the edges of pies and pasties.

## How to do it

1. Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water or milk and a pinch of salt. The salt thins the egg so it brushes on smoothly.
2. Strain it through a sieve if you want a very even finish.
3. Use a soft [pastry brush](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pastry-brush) to paint a thin, even layer over the dough.
4. For a deeper shine, let the first coat dry for 10 minutes and brush a second time just before baking.

## How to use it

The mix changes the finish:

* Whole egg and water: golden and shiny. A good all-round choice.
* Egg yolk and cream or milk: deep brown and very glossy.
* Egg white and water: shiny but pale, and crisp. Good for sticking on seeds or sugar.
* Milk alone: a soft, matte, light brown finish with no egg.

## Substitutes

For an egg-free finish, brush with milk, cream, melted butter or a plant milk mixed with a little maple syrup or oil. These brown less evenly but still add color. Check for an [egg allergy](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/egg-allergy) when baking for others.

## Common mistakes

* Brushing on too much. Egg pools in folds and on the tray and burns, or sets into scrambled bits.
* Brushing the cut edges of [puff pastry](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/puff-pastry). The egg glues the layers together and the sides do not rise.
* Painting a risen, proofed dough too hard. Use a light touch so it does not deflate.
* Leaving it out. Egg wash is raw egg, so make it fresh and throw away what is left after baking.

## In recipes

"Brush with egg wash" or "glaze with beaten egg" mean the same. Some recipes use "glaze" for egg wash and some for a sweet coating after baking, so check whether the step comes before or after the oven.

## Related terms

* [GlazeA glaze is a thin, shiny coating brushed or poured on food, from sugar icing on cakes to jam on tarts and sticky sauces on meat. Here is how to make one.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/glaze)
* [Pastry brushA pastry brush spreads egg wash, melted butter, glazes and oil in a thin, even layer. Here is how to use one and pick between silicone and bristle.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pastry-brush)
* [CrimpTo crimp is to press the edges of pastry or dough together in a pattern. It seals pies, pasties and dumplings and gives them a neat, finished edge.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/crimp)
* [Puff pastryPuff pastry is a dough folded with butter into hundreds of thin layers that rise into a crisp, flaky pastry. Here is how to bake it tall and crisp.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/puff-pastry)
* [Golden brownGolden brown is the deep, even gold color food turns as it browns in the oven or pan. It signals flavor from browning and that baked goods are cooked.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/golden-brown)
* [Egg allergyAn egg allergy is a reaction to proteins in egg white or yolk. Eggs hide in fresh pasta, mayonnaise, glazes and baked goods, so read every label.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/egg-allergy)

[More in baking and dough](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/baking-and-dough)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)