Why verifying oven temperature is a MUST.
Inconsistent baking results? Frequently under-baking or over-baking? Have you ever thought the temperature in your oven may not be what the dial/screen tells you? More often than not our ovens are not the temperature they say they are. Even commercial ovens have to be calibrated to be the right temperature, on a regular schedule. Most home bakers don’t know this and bake their food believing what their oven tells them. This is nothing to feel bad about. Why would you question what the oven says? There is a simple solution that can greatly improve your baking and ensure you have consistent results.
Get an oven thermometer like the one pictured, it is inexpensive and does the job. In a few simple steps you’ll be ready to bake like a pro.
- Set your oven to 350°F
- Once your oven reaches 350°F put your oven thermometer on the middle rack of the oven. Leave the thermometer for five minutes with the door closed. After five minutes, check the temperature and write a note if it is the correct temperature or how much it is off. It’s ok if it is off, you just want to make a note of it.
- Repeat step 2 on each side of your oven, the top rack in the middle, and the bottom rack in the middle. Take notes on the temperature in each spot of your oven.
What to do if your oven temperature is off? No worries, it can be simple. My old oven was the correct temperature in the middle, but 25°F cooler on the sides. With this, I knew that I needed to either bake one item in the middle of my oven OR if I was baking more, that I needed to rotate my baked goods from side to side, half way through baking. Rotating my goods half way through baking solved my problem of the outer edge being undercooked and the interior edge being cooked properly. Knowledge is power, right?! Now you can bake confidently, oven quirks and all!