Tips for Successful Baking

BAKING

The AeroTechTM Advanced Convection Cooking System

Convection means moving air; and convection cooking is a technology that is well established in bakeries and commercial kitchens. The Fisher and Paykel AeroTechTM oven incorporates an advanced convection system where a concealed element in the rear of the oven heats air that is then circulated evenly around the oven cavity. Cooking with AeroTechTM is substantially different to cooking in a conventional oven. In AeroTM modes moving air browns and crisps the outer surfaces of food, cooking 10-20% faster and at temperatures 25–50°F (5–10°C) lower than normally recommended for most recipes. Browning is very even, eliminating the need to move or turn food and allowing you to cook several trays of food at the same time, saving time and energy. Baked foods like souffles, puff pastry and angel food cake will also have a greater volume and lighter texture than if cooked in a conventional oven. The inside of meat stays juicy and tender, while the outside becomes deliciously crisp and full of flavor.

Read your recipe right through and assemble the ingredients and equipment on the counter before you start baking to avoid last minute panics.

Organize the oven shelves while the oven is cold. If you are not sure which shelf position to use, a general rule is to place the food so that the top surface of the food is as near to the center of the oven as possible.

Set your oven to preheat while you are getting ready. Many baked items don’t like to be kept waiting for the oven to reach the desired temperature.

Use baking paper to line cake tins and you’ll eliminate the need for greasing. Do this before you start mixing. Measure ingredients accurately.

When cake making, your ingredients (including eggs) should be at room temperature. When creaming butter and sugar the butter should be soft but not liquid. Cream butter and sugar until they become pale in color and the mixture looks light and aerated. ‘Fold’ flour in very gently using a large metal spoon and a cut and fold action until ingredients are just combined. Pour the mixture into prepared pans and then tap the pan gently on the bench to release any large air bubbles.

For maximum volume when whisking egg whites, make sure bowl and beaters are scrupulously clean and free from grease. When baking, make sure the cake tins do not touch each other or the sides of the oven – stagger tins across shelves if

necessary and use TrueAero for multi shelf cooking. Do not open the oven door until at least 3/4 through the suggested cooking time.

Light textured cakes are cooked if the center springs back when pressed gently with your finger, the edges have shrunk away from the pan slightly and they are attractively browned. Denser cakes are cooked when a thin skewer pushed carefully to the bottom of the pan in the thickest part of the cake, comes out without uncooked mix on it. If there is uncooked mixture on the skewer, return the cake to the oven for a little longer.

Baking pans that are made of dark, dull metals are recommended in appliances with a concealed lower element like the AeroTechTM oven. They absorb heat and often cook and brown food faster than reflective, shiny aluminum pans and sheets. Bear this in mind in case you need to lower the cooking time and/or temperature of your favorite recipes. Never put a shiny sheet or oven liner on the floor of the oven as this could damage the porcelain enamel.

Use the cookie sheets provided with your oven. They have been custom designed and perform extremely well. They are non- stick and need only a light coating of cooking spray, or greasing before use. Remember that you may need to bake for a shorter time than on older shiny sheets. Good air circulation is necessary for best results; space cookies evenly over the sheets and make them all the same size and thickness so they cook evenly. Use TrueAero to cook on several shelves at the same time. When it comes out of the oven allow baking to settle for a few minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack. It is much easier to do this before it is completely cold. Wipe your non-stick cookie sheets with a paper towel and store. Pans may benefit from being dried in the cooling oven.