SPECIAL TIPS & TECHNIQUES 
Some Common Baking Problems & What Causes Them
Muffins have a tendency to lean to one side because of the air currents in a convection oven. If you experience this problem, try preheating the oven an extra 50°F/30°C, load the product quickly and turn the oven off for 5 minutes. Turn the oven back on at the normal convection oven baking temper- ature and bake until done (this allows the muffins to develop some structure before being blown around).
Light batters for cakes that blow to one side or exhibit severe rippling can be handled in the same manner as the muffins.
The top shelf browns faster than the others. Air is circulated around a baffle at the back or one side of the oven (the fan draws air in from the center). Freshly reheated air from the top of the baffle (in ovens with a rear- mounted fan) hits the top pan first. Radiant heat from the top of the oven also con- tributes to faster browing on the top shelf. This is typical of convection ovens. Either allow more space between the top of the oven and the uppermost pan or remove the top pan earlier than the others.
Muffins are too dark, gummy on the inside, do not rise properly, or "explode" halfway through baking. Muffins are chemically leav- ened with baking powder and baking soda.
If there is too little heat, the leavening agents do not react and the muffins do not rise properly. Longer baking times will pro- duce a muffin with a dry, overbrowned exte- rior and a gummy interior, or exhibit "exploding" when the heat finally reaches the interior. The rising interior splits open the fully set exterior and the muffin explodes. Use a higher temperature to allow the muffin to rise quickly. You may need to reduce the temperature for the second half of the baking time so the fully risen muffins do not overbrown while they set up.
9 | Blodgett Combi Cooking Guide |
