What is the difference between stirring and folding

Irene Ngo Updated December 24, Folding is a term used to describe the process of combining ingredients together gently without stirring, beating or otherwise agitating the mixture. It is a technique most commonly used when you are combining one or more ingredients that have already been whipped such as egg whites or whipped cream. The term can also apply to a recipe that requires less mixing for example, a tender crumb.

Folding is the technique used for combining two mixtures with different textures. In some cakes, nuts must get folded into the batter. The challenge with folding is to get a uniform texture without losing volume. Gentle lifting is crucial, as is the right tool. A wide, flat utensil with a large surface, such as a rubber spatula or a dough scraper, works well because you can lift up a large amount of the mixture and spread it across the top.

By doing this repeatedly, turning the bowl and gently lifting up more batter, the mixtures combine without rough stirring, which would deflate your lighter ingredients. Otherwise, the heavy base would deflate the lighter one. Stirring is probably the simplest of all mixing methods. It usually implies using a spoon, a spatula, or another utensil to mix ingredients together, without vigorous motion, until uniformly blended.

Beating is similar to stirring but suggests an electric mixer and more active movement. For example, pancake batter needs gentle stirring to just barely combine the ingredients.

Over-stirring can make the pancakes tough. When adding fruit, nuts, or chocolate to a batter, you only need to stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Already a subscriber? Log in. Get the print magazine, 25 years of back issues online, over 7, recipes, and more. Start your FREE trial. Fine Cooking. ABC Everyday helps you navigate life's challenges and choices so you can stay on top of the things that matter to you. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.

ABC Everyday. Print content Print with images and other media. Print text only. Print Cancel. I asked Gillian Bell, a cake-maker, cook and podcaster, to explain some common baking terms. Beating vs whisking Both beating and whisking mean to vigorously and quickly mix ingredients together for the purpose of aerating them, but there are different methods depending on what outcome you're going for.

Blind baking. Email address. Posted 13 Jun 13 Jun Sat 13 Jun at pm. How to keep baking when there's a shortage of flour. Not much of a chef? This traps air into bubbles in the product, allowing baked goods to rise. In other uses, mixtures are folded together to combine them. Use the same technique of moving a spatula or a spoon through the two mixtures until they are combined. Folding is a very precise term in cooking and baking. It means that you have to carefully combine two mixtures of different thickness and weight into one relatively smooth mixture.

This is accomplished by a specific technique of using a spoon to lift the two mixtures together, turning them over so they combine. Folding is not difficult to do, but it does take patience and a light hand. With practice, you'll become an expert.