An egg wash is a well-beaten egg that's often mixed with a bit of water, milk or salt.

Egg wash is applied with a pastry brush to unbaked bread dough, pie or pastry crust to seal the dough and to give it a glossy finish once it comes out of the oven.

Egg washes can also be made with egg whites or egg yolks only, and whether you add water, milk or salt to the mixture can affect the final look and texture of the dish. Different recipes may call for different sorts of egg washes, and you can experiment to see which one works best for you.

An egg wash can also be brushed on the edges of wonton wrappers to seal dumplings or on the edges of ravioli to seal them before poaching.