Types of salt in baking - kosher, sea, table

[Catherine Nash]

I've baked with a variety of salts but once had a disaster occur when I used coarse salt in a honey cake - it was unbearably salty and inedible. I wrote to the magazine who published the recipe and they stood by their measurements and salt specification, so it scared me away from using any sort of coarse salt - basically, anything but finely-grained salt - in baking recipes.

Anyone have any recommendations on how I might incorporate coarse/sea/kosher salt back into baking without another disaster? Or is everyone out there ignoring the "in vogue" coarser salts in favor of simple table salt?

[Sarah Phillips]

I determine salt's usage in baking recipes by its particle size, which influences the readiness in which it dissolves. To me, this makes table salt the ideal choice for baking. By the way, table salt can be easily interchanged with a sea salt of a similar particle size! Don't leave it out!

[Pam R]

Or is everyone out there ignoring the "in vogue" coarser salts in favor of simple table salt?

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I always bake with table salt - although I sell fine sea salt at work, so I may try it. But the salt needs to dissolve in most baking, unlike when I'm roasting some meat or vegs. In that case it's nice to bite into a crunchy little piece of course salt.

(Of course, nothing beats a bagel with a layer of course salt on top - does that count as baking with it? )

[vengroff]

When baking I always look for recipies that specify salt (and other dry ingredients) by weight rather than volume. If you weigh the salt you get the same amount of NaCl in your recipe regardless of the size and shape of the grains. Unless the salt is exceptionally coarse it tends to all disolve in the course of ordinary mixing.

[aidensnd2]

I always use kosher salt. I like the taste and it's what I have around both at home and work. I do tend to rub it between my fingertips to break it down a little if it's going into something that won't get much mixing and I've never had any problems with non-dissolved salt in a finished product.

I think that as long as your not having a problem with the salt not dissolving completely then the actual type of salt used will make little difference. You just have to take into account that if you are measuring and not weighing the salt then the grain size will determine how much you actually have.

[Wendy DeBord]

I use cheap table salt in all my baking recipes. I do think you have to be cautious about the grain size so it does dissolve properly.

But when I want a kick of salt to ying/yang with the sweetness of a dessert I reach for large grained salt so it won't dissolve before it reaches the persons mouth. Currently I'm using Fleur de sel and I sprinkle it on top of my finished product. When I put it in the center of items it dissolves too much and it takes away the crunch impact.

[andiesenji]

I use kosher salt for all my baking.

[arc]

I, too, have wondered about this dissolution question. It seems particularly relevant when talking about fine pastry doughs like brioche. But to add another layer of complication, it seems that there would be substantially less weight in a tablespoon of sea salt than in a tablespoon of table salt, correct?

And what about the iodized characteristics of table salt? I always hedge my bets and use kosher salt, which seems like it minimizes the risks of either of the two extremes.

A

[andiesenji]

The biggest difference is between regular table salt and Diamond crystal salt which has such an open structure that comparable volumes weigh much different.

If you go by weight you will be okay.

If a recipe calls for a tablespoon of "salt" simply weigh a tablespoon of regular salt and mark what it weighs, then weigh out the same amount of kosher salt and then put it into a dry measure so you can see how much it is in volume and indicate that in your recipe.

The recipes that I do all the time have the weight conversions in pencil next to the regular measurements. I find that I get the same results time after time with this routine.

Edited March 9, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[Shalmanese]

Apart from the weight/volume issue, wouldn't pickling salt be better than table salt since it has a finer grain?