- Also written
- folding, fold in, folded
To fold is to combine two mixtures gently with a large spoon or spatula, so that the air beaten into one of them isn't knocked out.
It is used wherever a recipe depends on trapped air: whisked egg whites into a mousse or soufflé base, whipped cream into a fool, or flour into a whisked sponge. Stirring or beating at this point would deflate the mixture, and the cake or mousse would come out flat and dense.
The movement is a figure of eight rather than a circle. Cut down through the middle of the bowl to the bottom, sweep along the base and up the side, then turn the spatula over and lay that mixture on top. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. Stop as soon as no streaks of flour or white remain.
When folding egg whites into something heavy, stir in one spoonful first to loosen it, then fold in the rest.
The term is the same in British and American English.
By The Scullery team · Updated