Most baking recipes call for room temperature eggs. This is important because eggs function better when they're between 68º-70ºF: they bind more easily to other ingredients, take on more volume, and disperse more easily in batter than they would otherwise. But what if you've forgotten to take the eggs out ahead of time?

Renowned baking author Alice Medrich tackles this question for Food52, and her favorite shortcut is a game-changer. (Here's a hint: The answer is never, ever the microwave.) In short:

  1. Crack them all first.
  2. Place them in a stainless steel bowl, which warms up faster than glass.
  3. Place the bowl in lukewarm water and stir using your finger.

This ensures the eggs never get too warm, either (also a bad thing). The key is really the stainless steel. She writes:

Stainless steel warms up faster than glass when you set the bowl in the warm water and does not retain heat as long as glass after it is removed, so the bowl does not continue to warm the eggs once you've taken it from the water. It's all about control!

So what should you do if the recipe calls for adding eggs one at a time, or if the eggs need to be separated? She addresses those scenarios, too. There's more on that at the link below.

The Best Way to Bring Eggs to Room Temperature | Food52
