Techniques › Baking and pastry
Meringue: French, Swiss and Italian
Intermediate Baking and pastry
Egg whites whipped with sugar into a glossy foam, made three ways that differ in when and how the sugar goes in.
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How do you do it?
- French: whip room-temperature whites to soft foam, then add sugar a spoonful at a time and whip to stiff, glossy peaks. Best for baked meringues.
- Swiss: whisk whites and sugar over simmering water until the sugar dissolves and it reaches 160°F, then whip off the heat until thick and cool.
- Italian: boil sugar and water to 240 to 245°F, then stream it into whites whipped to soft peaks while beating, and whip until cool.
- Rub a bit between your fingers; if it feels gritty, the sugar hasn't dissolved yet.
Why does it work?
Whipping unfolds egg-white proteins, which link up around air bubbles to form a foam. Sugar dissolves into the water in the whites and makes it thick and syrupy, so bubbles drain and pop more slowly. Heating the whites (Swiss and Italian) partly sets the proteins, giving the sturdiest, most stable meringue and bringing the eggs to a safe temperature.
What are the common mistakes?
- Adding all the sugar at once to French meringue — the foam struggles to build volume.
- Any yolk or grease in the bowl — fat stops the whites from foaming well.
- Pouring hot syrup onto the beaters — it flings onto the bowl and hardens.
Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.
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