Operating Your Oven - The Basics

Your Oven's Three Bake Modes

Bake

Surround Bake

Convection Bake

Bake

Uses only the bake element. This mode is the stand-by, non-convection mode. All baked items will turn out nicely in this mode.

Tips for Using Bake Mode

For best results, use a single rack. See page 34 for suggested rack positions for various foods. For cook- ing on multiple racks, Dacor recommends using one of the convection modes.

Follow your recipe’s original cooking time and tem- perature.

Do not open the oven door frequently during baking. Look through the oven door window to check the progress of baking whenever possible.

Use the timers to determine baking time.

Wait until the shortest recommended baking time before checking the food. For most baked goods, a wooden toothpick placed in the center should come clean when the food is done.

Surround Bake

Surround Bake uses both the bake element and a broil element. This mode is best for angel- food cake, fruit cobblers, quick breads, soufflés

and cheesecakes baked in a water bath. Egg-leavened items turn out best in this mode because they still get a nice rise without over-browning or curdling. Thick battered breads, such as banana bread, bake well in this mode because they cook through while providing the correct amount of browning.

Convection Bake

Convection Bake uses both the bake element and the convection element and fan. Use this mode for single rack convection baking. The combination of the convection fan and bottom heat source is best for fruit crisps, custard pies, double-crusted fruit pies, quiches, yeast breads in a loaf pan and popovers. Also, items baked in a deep ceramic dish or earthenware clay pots are best in this mode. Most of these items cook in a deep pan and require browning on the top and bottom.

important

Modes that utilize convection tend to have a cooking time that is about 25% shorter.

Adjust and test cooking times for your recipes, especially those that are homemade, when converting from standard to convection baking. See the Pure Convection section on page 14 for additional guidelines.

Common Problems When Using the Bake Mode

Problem

May be caused by

What to do

Cookies burn on the

Oven door opened too often.

Set timer to shortest recommended cooking

bottom.

 

time and check food when timer beeps. Use

 

 

door window to check food.

 

 

 

 

Incorrect rack position used.

Change rack position.

 

Dark, heat absorbing cookie sheets used.

Use shiny, reflective cookie sheets.

Cookies are too brown

Rack position being used is too high.

Change rack position.

on top.

 

 

Food placed in oven during preheat.

Wait until oven is preheated.

 

 

Incorrect baking mode being used.

See Starting Your Oven - Main Menu on

 

 

page 11 for guidelines.

Cakes burn on the sides

Oven temperature too high.

Reduce oven temperature.

or are not done in the

Dark, heat absorbing cake pans used.

Use shiny, reflective cake pans.

center.

 

 

Cakes crack on top.

Oven temperature too high.

Reduce oven temperature.

Cakes are not level.

Oven and/or oven rack not level.

Level oven and rack as needed.

Pies burn around the

Oven temperature too high.

Reduce oven temperature.

edges or are not done

Dark, heat absorbing pans used.

Use shiny, reflective pans.

in the center.

Oven and/or rack over-crowded.

Reduce number of pans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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