When a recipe calls for a hot-water bath, it (unfortunately) is not an instruction for you to take a nice, relaxing soak while your dessert bakes. Also known as a bain marie, a hot-water bath is an essential technique for cooking creamy desserts in the oven to achieve smooth custards, fluffy cheesecakes, and flawless flans. To learn more about the classic French technique of bain marie and to glean tips for making it as fuss-free as possible, we asked Elise Bayard Franklin, a chef instructor at The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in Cambridge, Mass., for a lesson on what a bain marie is and her tips to use it safely and efficiently.
What a Hot-Water Bath Is—and When to Use One
A hot-water bath is a gentle method of oven cooking whereby individual ramekins or a single pan (most commonly a springform pan) are set inside a large baking dish with high sides, such as a roasting pan, that is set in the oven. The pan is then filled with very hot water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dishes. The result of using a water bath is a steamy environment in your oven that promotes even cooking for delicate foods like cheesecakes, flans, creme brûlées, and custards.
Bayard Franklin likes to think of a hot-water bath as an insurance policy for bakes that are prone to overcooking or cracking. "Baked custards are the dish I think of immediately when asked when to use a water bath", she says. "A baked custard, such as a cheesecake, is prone to cracking, but the moisture provided by a hot-water bath can help prevent that." The hot water bath also helps ensure a silky texture for creamy, custard-like desserts.
Why It's Vital to Use Boiling Not Tap Water
When a recipe calls for a hot-water bath, it's tempting to use hot water from the tap but Bayard Franklin advises you to think twice about shortcuts and boil the water instead. "The idea with a water bath is to provide steam and protect your baked goods," she says, suggesting that you only pour just-boiled or simmering water into the pan and put it straight in the oven so it doesn't cool down too much.
The Best and Safest Way to Assemble a Water Bath
There's no getting around it that a hot-water bath can be challenging to assemble and transfer to the oven. You are, after all, potentially dealing with a handful of little custard-filled dishes, a cumbersome roasting pan, and a good amount of boiling water sloshing around. This is why it's useful to wait to pour in the water until your roasting pan is already situated in the oven.
Additionally, if you are using individual dishes like ramekins—rather than one large dish of cheesecake or flan—Bayard Franklin suggests not placing all of the ramekins in before adding the water so you can have an easier time pouring. "Pour slowly and from a low height," she says. "The ramekins will displace the water a bit, so be sure to account for that and use a little less water. That way, when you put in the last couple of dishes, the water won't surpass about halfway up the sides."
How to Safely Handle After Baking
Bayard Franklin says the best way to transport your perfect pots de crème from the bain marie after they are cooked is by using a pair of tongs to lift the rim of each ramekin up and out of the roasting pan. "A wide offset spatula can also do the trick if you have room to get it into the water bath and under the dish," she says.
Now that you're feeling confident about using a hot-water bath, give the technique a spin with this seasonal recipe for Maple Flan.
FAQs
Also known as a bain marie, a hot-water bath is an essential technique for cooking creamy desserts in the oven to achieve smooth custards, fluffy cheesecakes, and flawless flans.
When to use a water bath in baking? ›
Delicate bakes using a custard or something similar (like cheesecake) will benefit greatly from the use of a water bath. Water baths can also be used to create delicate sauces like hollandaise, keep sauces warm, and melt chocolate or butter.
When to use bain-marie? ›
Applications of a bain-marie
Today, a bain-marie is most often used for maintaining food or ingredients at the correct temperature. For example, you might see a bain-marie on a salad bar used to keep items such as salad dressing cool. The container is placed on ice or in a cooling unit to keep the food fresh.
What does a bain-marie do in baking? ›
A bain-marie (pronounced "bane mah-REE") is essentially a fancy way to describe a hot water bath in the culinary world. It is commonly used for cooking delicate foods such as custards. The purpose of a bain-marie is that it creates a gentle heat around the food and results in a uniform cooking process.
What temperature do you bake a bain-marie? ›
Oven temperature should be 325°F to 350°F (165°C to 175°C). Start the bain-marie with boiling water, instead of waiting for it to get hot in the oven. To prevent baking, use a lid and ensure that the water goes well up the side of the inner pot.
Do you bake a cheesecake in a hot or cold water bath? ›
Low and gentle heat!
A water bath is the best way to ensure that kind of baking environment. Even when you set your oven to 325° to bake a cheesecake, the temperature inside the water bath generally won't exceed 200°F.
What temperature is a water bath for cooking? ›
The sous vide cooking process starts with sealing raw or partially cooked foods in a food-safe plastic bag. The bag is placed in a water bath that's heated between 65 to 95 degrees Celsius (149 to 203 degrees Fahrenheit). As the water is constantly circulating in the water bath, there are no cold or hot spots.
What are the disadvantages of a bain-marie? ›
This feature makes the offering suitable for every cookware. As this procedure heats the beverages using direct contact, one drawback of the product is the risk of damage to the pot & Bain Marie faces if the utensil boils dry or becomes too hot after simmering above boiling point.
What is bain-marie best for? ›
A bain marie is used to keep food warm over longer periods of time. By providing a consistent gentle heat, it can hold pre-cooked food at the correct temperature and ensure it is ready to eat during an extended period of service.
What to use instead of a bain-marie? ›
A broiler pan could work in a pinch, but avoid a dutch oven – the sides of a dutch ovens hold too much heat for this kind of cooking and could over-cook your food. Line this dish with a clean kitchen towel.
As the name suggests, wet heat bains marie use a chamber of hot water to keep food warm. The food pan is placed into the water, which is gently heated to a set temperature by the appliance. GOOD TO KNOW: Water requires occasional refilling if used for extended periods.
What pan to use for a water bath? ›
Large Roasting Pan, Baking Pan, or Skillet: You'll need something large enough that your springform pan can fit inside of! I use a heavy duty 12-inch skillet, but any roasting pan or cake pan that's large enough to fit your pan will suffice!
What temp is safe for bain-marie? ›
However, if the Bain Marie is used to keep prepared food hot for serving at a buffet, then the ideal temperature is between 60-70 degrees Celsius or 140-158 degrees Fahrenheit. It is one of the most typical usages of the equipment to keep the preparation hot.
Why bake cake in a water bath? ›
"The idea with a water bath is to provide steam and protect your baked goods," she says, suggesting that you only pour just-boiled or simmering water into the pan and put it straight in the oven so it doesn't cool down too much.
What happens if you don't bake cheesecake in a water bath? ›
But it's less possible to bake an excellent cheesecake without one. Big, showstopper cheesecakes baked without a water bath are more likely to overbake, which will give them a curdled texture, cracks in the surface, and lopsided tops.
Should you bake in a water bath with hot or cold water? ›
In the baths that started with boiling water, not only did both desserts cook the fastest but these samples had a smoother, more uniform texture. The desserts baked in baths that started with ice water did not cook uniformly; the bottom half was perfectly done while the top half was overcooked.
Why do chefs use a water bath? ›
In the water bath, the heat from the water is transferred to the ingredient. The water cooks the food slowly and keeps it at or under the temperature of the water, making it virtually impossible to overcook the food. Different ingredients cook best at different times and temperatures.
