Recipe Station

There is nothing more annoying when baking then trying to gauge how long something should cook because your oven just doesn't want to cooperate! While before I would simply use trial and error over the course of weeks to figure out an oven now it takes me only a few minutes and some coconut sprinkles or bread and I know how “temperamental” the oven I am working with is.

All you need to do is heat your oven to 350° F. When it’s fully heated, slip some bread slices onto the racks to toast them. Go for both the top and bottom racks to be on the thorough side. After they’re done toasting, gauge how they’ve browned.

You should be able to tell which parts of the oven are producing pale or undercooked pieces of bread, evenly done, or burnt. If you feel so inclined, slather your test toasts with some jelly or butter and indulge. An alternate testing method used whereby you sprinkle some shredded coconut onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven. Again, assess the brownness levels.

Once you’ve figured out your oven’s hot or cold spots, there are few things you can do to adjust.

• Rotate your pans so that your food can cook evenly,
• Switch your racks around to accommodate heat distribution.
• Changing your cookware may also help; look into using glass, baking stones, or shinier metal pans.
• Cake bakers may also want to try cake strips that attach to the outside of your cake pans. Buy them or make your own with a thin strip of fabric and a heat-safe fastener. They help cake layers to bake evenly and level. Combined with the right oven temperature, you could save yourself some frustration.

It’s a fact that ovens cook differently, whether they’re new or old. Investing in an oven thermometer (not to be confused with a food thermometer) can tell you what the actual temperature is in the middle of your oven. That number could be off a few degrees or more from what you used to preheat.

What do you normally do to test your ovens temp? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: Tip Hero