We’re amateurs in my kitchen, experimenting with croissants and trying to get brave enough to tangle with brioche.  Today’s question is about egg washes.  If I read on the internet, I get the general impression that yolks and cream make your baked goods brown, and whites make them crispy.  Some internet sites claim that water (as compared to milk) in the eggs makes the color lighter, some claim it makes the color browner.

I find my egg washes don’t stick to the dough, especially the parts that are steep sided or curved under.  Should I lift the dough items up, egg wash them all over, and then put them on the pan?