What does the chilled vs room temperature cookie dough experiment test?

It tests one variable: dough temperature. The idea is that chilled dough bakes into thicker cookies than dough baked at room temperature.

40-minute experiment

Chilled vs room temperature cookie dough

Spread or stay thick?

The idea

Chilled dough bakes into thicker cookies than dough baked at room temperature.

The one thing you change: Dough temperature

You need

A batch of cookie dough
A baking sheet with parchment
A ruler

Steps

Scoop six equal balls of dough and chill three for 30 minutes.
Bake all six at the same time on the same tray. Use oven mitts, and don't eat the raw dough.
Measure the width and height of each cookie when cool.

What you should find

The chilled cookies are thicker and smaller across. The room temperature cookies are flatter and wider.

From the app

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The science behind it

Why cookies spread

In the oven, the butter melts first and the dough slumps outward. Then the eggs and flour set and lock in the shape. Cold dough, extra flour or a hotter…

Read the explainer

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