For the uninitiated: Down-on-their-luck socialites David and his mother Moira are trying to cook enchiladas—or as Moira, with her inimitable pronunciation of words, calls them, "ahn-chiladas." When they get to the instruction to “fold in the cheese,” everyone’s confused.
Watch for yourselves:
So what is the difference between “folding in” an ingredient and just, you know, adding it and stirring?
Bakers will tell you that it means to very gently incorporate an ingredient by sweeping the spatula around the mixing bowl and then turning it lightly, as if folding the mixture in on itself. You do it tenderly so that you won’t deflate the batter.
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Often it’s used when incorporating whipped egg whites or whipped cream; you add a small portion first to lighten up the batter before—yup, folding in the rest. It keeps the whole thing light and airy.
When cooking, you fold in ingredients–like that cheese–when you don’t want to overmix. In our recipe for Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, the goal is to add the two cups of shredded cheddar very gently to keep the potatoes light and not gluey. If you fold in ingredients, everything stays fluffy.
So next time a recipe says to “fold it in,” keep things gentle. Unlike Moira and David, now you know just what to do.
"[It] basically just means stirring gently from the bottom upward folding the liquid up over the cheese so as to help it melt gently and not break the sauce," he says, while using a rubber spatula to stir queso.
"[It] basically just means stirring gently from the bottom upward folding the liquid up over the cheese so as to help it melt gently and not break the sauce," he says, while using a rubber spatula to stir queso.
What Does “Fold” Mean in a Recipe? The term folding can trip up some bakers. That's because this term is pretty ambiguous—not like toasting nuts or whipping cream. But the simple definition of folding is carefully adding a light, airy mixture to a thicker, heavier mixture.
Okay, now back to the enchiladas. While Moira and David struggle through the recipe, the “fold in the cheese” step surfaces and confuses the “Schitt” out of them both.
Folding is a very precise term in cooking and baking. It means that you have to carefully combine two mixtures of different thickness and weight into one (relatively) smooth mixture. This is accomplished by a specific technique of using a spoon to lift the two mixtures together, turning them over so they combine.
By folding ingredients gently, some air, but not too much, is incorporated into your batter without making the finished product tough. This is why you might find that cookie recipes suggest you fold in chocolate chips, nuts or other add-ins at the end of the mixing process; so as not to over-mix the batter.
Folding in the cheese, in essence, means navigating through life's messes together. Your cheese-folding partner may not always understand your instructions.
By folding the lighter ingredient into the heavier one, rather than stirring or whisking, you're able to combine them without breaking too many air bubbles, the invisible ingredient in all of your baking and the secret to weightless meringues, soaring cakes, and dainty creams.
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