Taking the Pressure

• Modern life has its pressures, but paradoxically it's a lack of pressure that stymies newcomers to high-altitude baking. At high elevations, air pressure is lower, which means the air itself can hold less moisture and is consequently dryer. It also means that the leaveners in your baked goods, from yeast to soda, are suddenly turbocharged. The end result is that some -- though not all -- of your trusted recipes might now result in dry, tough baked goods with a tendency to rise quickly and then collapse and become dense. You can counter those effects by tweaking your ingredients, your technique, or both.

Tweaking and Tuning

• When your baked goods start coming out dry, the obvious -- and correct -- response is to increase your wet ingredients. At 3,000 feet, you might only add a tablespoon or two for every cup of liquids in your recipe, but at 7,000 to 10,000 feet you might need 3 or 4. You'll need to cut back on your recipe's yeast, baking soda or baking powder by 10 to 25 percent. Strengthening the dough or batter can also help counter the tendency to over-inflate. Use bread flour instead of all-purpose in breads, and all-purpose rather than cake flour in cakes. Cut back slightly on sugar, which softens and weakens the crumb.

Changing Your Ways

• A few tweaks in your baking technique can also have a large impact on the result. Give your yeast breads an extra punch-down and rise, to improve their texture and flavor. In recipes containing beaten eggs, whip them for a shorter time to reduce the quantity of air you incorporate. Baked goods cling tenaciously to your pans at altitude, so line them with parchment or grease and flour them liberally. Increasing your baking temperature by 10 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit can help set cakes and quick breads, or form a robust crust on yeast breads, and help keep them from collapsing.

Tricking Out Boxed Mixes

• If your baking skills are of the "open a box and add water" variety, you might be even more intimidated by high-altitude baking. While you can't alter the ingredients in your mix the way a scratch baker can, you still have some tricks at your disposal. You can increase the liquids in your cake just as easily, and instead of cutting sugar use slightly less oil than usual. Substitute buttermilk for regular milk, or add a splash of lemon juice, to rein in the cake's leaveners. For further tips and tricks, consult the back of the box or your favorite brand's website.

Looking on the Bright Side

• Starting off with the assumption that you'll fail is no way to approach any new endeavor. Before you start obsessing over the fine details of high-altitude baking, try your recipe as written. Often it'll work fine just as it is or require only minimal adjustment. Pies, most cookies and many pastries, because of the way they're made, are little affected by altitude.