Egg Wash

An egg wash is beaten egg, sometimes mixed with another liquid such as water or milk, brushed onto the surface of pastry, bread, calzones or fish before baking or breading. It gives baked goods a glossy, golden-brown finish, helps a coating or topping adhere to the surface beneath it, and binds pastry edges together, as in an empanada or a dish wrapped en croute. A common ratio is about two tablespoons of liquid per egg, with less liquid producing a darker finish; plant-based substitutes such as vegetable oil, non-dairy milk or diluted corn syrup serve the same purpose for cooks avoiding animal products.