Solving Baking Problems

Baking problems can occur for many reasons. Check the Baking Problem chart for the causes and recommended remedies for the most common problems. It is important to remember that the temperature setting and cooking times you are accustomed to using with your previous oven may vary slightly from those required with this oven. If you find this to be true, it is necessary for you to adjust your recipes and cooking times accordingly.

COMMON BAKING PROBLEM / REMEDIES

PROBLEM	CAUSE			REMEDY
Cakes burn on the sides	1. Oven was too hot		1.	Reduce temperature
or not done in center	2.	Wrong pan size	2.	Use recom. pan size
	3.	Too many pans	3.	Reduce no. of pans
Cakes crack on top	1.	Batter too thick	1.	Follow recipe
				Add liquid
	2.	Oven too hot	2.	Reduce temperature
	3.	Wrong pan size	3.	Use recom. pan size
Cakes are not level	1.	Batter uneven	1.	Distribute batter even
	2.	Oven or rack not level	2.	Level oven or rack
	3.	Pan was warped	3.	Use proper pan
Food too brown on	1. Oven door opened		1.	Use door window to
bottom		too often.		check food.
	2.	Dark pans being used	2.	Use shiny pans.
	3.	Incorrect rack pos.	3.	Use recom. rack pos.
	4.	Wrong bake setting	4.	Adjust to conventional
				or convection setting
				as needed.
	5.	Pan too large	5.	Use proper pan
Food too brown on	1. Rack position too high		1.	Use recom. rack pos.
top	2. Oven not preheated		2.	Allow oven to preheat
	3.	Sides of pan too high	3.	Use proper pans
Cookies too flat	1.	Hot cookie sheet	1.	Allow sheet to cool
				between batches
Pies burn around edges	1. Oven too hot		1.	Reduce temperature
	2.	Too many pans used	2.	Reduce no. of pans
	3.	Oven not preheated	3.	Allow oven to preheat
Pies too light on top	1.	Oven not hot enough	1.	Increase temperature
	2.	Too many pans used	2.	Reduce no. of pans
	3.	Oven not preheated	3.	Allow oven to preheat

Conventional / Convection Roasting Tips

Always use the broiler pan and grid supplied with each oven. The hot air must be allowed to circulate around the item being roasted. Do not cover what is being roasted. Convection roasting seals in juices quickly for a moist, tender product. Poultry will have a light, crispy skin and meats will be browned, not dry or burned. Cook meats and poultry directly from the refrigerator. There is no need for meat or poultry to stand at room temperature.

1.As a general rule, to convert conventional recipes to convection recipes, reduce the temperature by 25 F and the cooking time by approximately 10 to 15%.

2.Always roast meats fat side up in a shallow pan using a roasting rack. No basting is required when the fat side is up. Do not add water to the pan as this will cause a steamed effect. Roasting is a dry heat process.

3.Poultry should be placed breast side up on a rack in a shallow pan. Brush poultry with melted butter, margarine, or oil before and during roasting.

4.For convection roasting, do not use pans with tall sides as this will interfere with the circulation of heated air over the food.

5.When using a meat thermometer, insert the probe halfway into the center of the thickest portion of the meat. (For poultry insert the thermometer probe between the body and leg into the thickest part of the inner thigh.) The tip of the probe should not touch bone, fat, or gristle to ensure an accurate reading. Check the meat temperature halfway through the recommended roasting time. After reading the thermometer once, insert it ½ inch further into the meat, then take a second reading. If the second temperature registers below the first, continue cooking the meat.

6.Roasting times always vary according to the size, shape and quality of meats and poultry. Less tender cuts of meat are best prepared in the conventional bake setting and may require moist cooking techniques.

Remove roasted meats from the oven when the thermometer registers 5 to 10 F lower than the desired doneness. The meat will continue to cook after removal from the oven. Allow roasts to stand 15 to 20 minutes after roasting in order to make carving easier.

7.If using a cooking bag, foil tent, or other cover, use the conventional bake setting rather than either convection setting.