Cooking times, On baking, On Roasting

Hints and Tips

On baking:

Cakes and pastries usually require a medium temperature (150°C-200°C) and therefore it is necessary to preheat the oven for about 10 minutes.

Do not open the oven door before 3/4 of the baking time has elapsed.

Shortcrust pastry is baked in a springform tin or on a tray for up to 2/3 of the baking time and then garnished before being fully baked. This further baking time depends on the type and amount of topping or filling. Sponge mixtures must separate with difficulty from the spoon. The baking time would be unnecessarily extended by too much liquid.

If two baking trays with pastries or biscuits are inserted into the oven at the same time, a shelf level must be left free between the trays.

If two baking trays with pastries or biscuits are inserted into the oven at the same time, the trays must be swapped and turned around after about 2/3 of the baking time.

On Roasting:

Do not roast joints smaller than 1 kg. Smaller pieces could dry out when roasting. Dark meat, which is to be well done on the outside but remain medium or rare inside, must be roasted at a higher tem- perature (200°C-250°C).

White meat, poultry and fish, on the other hand, require a lower temperature (150°C-175°C). The ingredients for a sauce or gravy should only be added to the roasting pan right at the beginning if the cooking time is short. Otherwise add them in the last half hour.

You can use a spoon to test whether the meat is cooked: if it cannot be depressed, it is cooked through. Roast beef and fillet, which is to remain pink inside, must be roasted at a higher tempera- ture in a shorter time.

If cooking meat directly on the oven shelf, insert the roasting pan in the shelf level below to catch the juices.

Leave the joint to stand for at least 15 minutes, so that the meat juices do not run out.

To reduce the build up of smoke in the oven, it is recommended to pour a little water in the roasting pan. To prevent condensation forming, add water several times. The plates can be kept warm in the oven at minimum temperature until serving.

Caution!

Do not line the oven with aluminium foil and do not place a roasting pan or baking tray on the floor, as other- wise the oven enamel will be dam- aged by the heat build-up.

Cooking times

Cooking times can vary according to the different composition, ingredients and amounts of liquid in the individual dishes.

Note the settings of your first cooking or roasting experiments to gain experience for later prepara- tion of the same dishes.

Based upon your own experiences you will be able to alter the values given in the tables.