Creative Ways To Apply Egg Wash When You Don't Have A Pastry Brush

A big part of ensuring a perfectly golden finish on your baked goods is by brushing on some egg wash. Egg wash is just a combination of eggs and either water or milk; the mixture is then beaten together, and using a pastry brush, it's applied to all kinds of baked goods. Once in the oven, the egg wash reacts with the heat, creating a shiny, golden crust atop fresh pastries and pie crusts.

To make the most of egg wash, you need the right ratio and a tool to evenly apply it. For every egg you use, beat it with a tablespoon of milk or water. Make sure there are no streaks in the wash, or the pastries' coloring could turn out uneven. Then, brush the egg wash evenly over your baked goods with a pastry brush. But what if you don't have one? No need to drop everything and run to the store. Thankfully, there are a few alternatives that will help you spread that egg wash evenly.

It might not be the most conventional method, but you can actually create your own pastry brush using parchment paper. All you have to do is take a piece of parchment paper, fold it four times, then cut small slits on the folded-edge side of it, which will mimic the shape of bristles. Folding the parchment paper helps make it sturdy enough to hold the thicker egg wash liquid. From there, dip the parchment into the egg wash, then brush it onto the pastry crust as normal.

A pastry brush can have natural bristles or silicone ones, but the natural bristles aren't much different than a paint brush — or even a toothbrush. If you have an unopened or unused brush, you can certainly swap it in place of a regular pastry brush. The bristle texture can vary on paint brushes and toothbrushes, so just make sure it has bristles with enough strength to hold and direct the egg wash.

Paper towels work wonders to clean up kitchen messes because they absorb liquid, but if you crumple a paper towel, it can also be a great way to spread liquid around. Just beat together the egg and milk in a small bowl, then grab a spoonful of the egg wash and drizzle it over the pastry. From there, take the paper towel, and blot the egg wash to help spread it out. You might have to repeat it a couple of times to get the egg wash as even as possible. Alternatively, a coffee filter has a similar effect as a paper towel if you bunch it up. If you have a spare filter, feel free to use it; just note that they're a little more delicate than paper towels.

Another option for blotting egg wash is using a sponge. Pretend the pastry is a sponge painting; dunk the sponge into the egg wash bowl, then blot the egg wash all over the pastry. You can also use the spoonful method, and drizzle the egg wash onto the pastry before blotting it with the sponge. If you use this method, make sure you properly sanitize your kitchen sponge before using it to clean anything else, as there is a small chance raw eggs carry salmonella.