The cake batter is in the tin, or the bread has risen. Now is the moment of truth on how to bake the item successfully.
Home baking ovens have developed over the years. They have changed from the early conventional ovens to Microwave / Convection ovens and then on to the more common fan-forced Convention oven and lately the Combi stream-type ovens. However, whatever type you use to bake, it is crucial to understand the settings and how to use them. The following explanations will focus on the fan-forced Convection type, which is the most common.
Oven Control Components
The control features of the oven setting are displayed as diagrams similar to those below.
Convectional ovens provide a more consistent type of heat through the fan function, which distributes the heat more effectively than prior oven types, which relied on conduction, radiation and convection. The baking is done at a lower temperature setting of approximately 10 °C than in a traditional oven. The baking process is a trial-and-error activity as you become familiar with your oven, so don’t think everything will be perfect if you follow the recipe, which says to bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. Two unexpected outcomes could occur: the item is over-baked, as the oven temperature is too high. Or underbaked, where the oven temperature is too low or not baked long enough.
How to set an Oven
Preheating :The oven needs preheating before use, and this will take approx. 20 minutes. What temperature do I set for preheating? 200°C is the most common.
Why do I need to preheat the oven? : Successful baking requires a baking chamber that has an amount of stored energy. The temperature will drop when placing items in the oven; if not preheated sufficiently, the necessary chemical reactions will not occur.
What settings do I use? : If baking bread, use the top and bottom settings as you want intense heat. If baking a cake, use the fan setting to heat the oven.
Recommended Baking Temperature
Butter Cake
The recipe states 190°C : Set the temperature to 200°C while preparing the batter for the oven. Before placing the cake in the oven, change the temperature to 190°C. Open the oven door, place your cake into position, and close the door.
Why set it to 200°C and then reduce it to 190°C? : Successful baking requires a baking chamber that has an amount of stored energy. The temperature will drop when placing items in the oven; if not preheated sufficiently, the necessary chemical reactions will not occur.
Bread Baking
Recipes state 225°C for baking bread : The initial setting would be at 250°C to have the oven hot and ready for baking. Heat the oven for at least 30 minutes before baking to build up the heat.
Recipes say 225°C; why set it at 250°C? : The baking temperature is 225°C. You preheat to 250°C. Before running the oven, reset the thermostat to 225°C. This allows for a drop in heat when you are loading. When you fill the oven, it will automatically drop, but setting it at 225˚C means it will not fall below this.