Why does high altitude affect your baking such as ingredient amounts, or cooking time?

Question

Why does high altitude affect your baking such as ingredient amounts, or cooking time?

In: Physics

Answer 1

Air pressure is lower, so water boils at a lower temperature. Lower temperature for water boiling messes with lots of fundamentals of cooking. The proteins in the food aren’t ‘cooked’ as well at a slightly lower temperature, so you have to adjust the ingredients and cooking time.