How to Make a Water Bath for Baking (5 Steps)

Delicate egg and dairy-based foods such as souffles, cheesecakes, custards and pate need delicate preparation. Baking them in a water bath ensures they uphold their reputation for being creamy, rich and moist. Baking with a water bath, also called a bain-marie, essentially means baking a dish of food within a larger, shallow pan filled with hot water. The water bath gently cooks the food at a lower temperature and at a slower rate, protecting it from the direct heat of the oven. It also prevents a whole slew of problems, including cracking, curdling, crust formation, uneven baking and scorching.

Things You'll Need

Large, shallow baking dish

Kitchen towel or paper towels

Instructions

Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to the temperature your recipe indicates.
Put a large, shallow baking dish on your kitchen counter and put a kitchen towel or several layers of paper towel in the bottom. The dish should be about 2 to 3 inches wider all around than the dish you are baking your food in. Baking pans, broiler pans or cake pans all work, as long as they hold water.
Place your dish of food into the large, shallow baking dish. If you are baking your food in multiple dishes such as ramekins, make sure the dishes don't touch.
Carefully pour hot water into the large, shallow baking dish. The depth of the water should be about half the height of the baking dish you are baking your food in.
Gently place the prepared water bath into the oven and bake according to your recipe's instructions.

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