The Temperature Rule For Cooking Any Recipe For A Convection Oven
Odds are if you purchased a range in recent history, it came with a convection oven setting. While old habits may die hard, exploring the convection setting for your cooking needs is worth it. By using the convection oven setting, fans in the oven cavity move hot air around the food, helping to heat it, whether in the baking or roasting setting. In comparison, a traditional thermal oven doesn't force air to circulate around the food, possibly resulting in areas that are hotter than others, which of course, then affects how the food is cooked. A real benefit of using a convection oven is it allows for food to cook more evenly and faster than thermal ovens so adjusting the time or the temperature for a family-favorite recipe may be in order to make use of the convection oven setting.
And don't worry, making that adjustment isn't too hard to do and the end result can be a juicier, golden brown roasted turkey or moist muffins with perfectly browned tops.
The rule of 25
Are you ready to bake Grandma's classic meatloaf on the convection setting, but her hand-me-down recipe only has directions for a thermal oven? With one easy trick, you can convert that recipe. Simply, take 25% off the recommended oven temperature, or take 25 minutes off the bake time. When making roast meat or another recipe that takes an hour or longer, reducing the time in the oven by 25 minutes might be the better of the two options because of the amount of time saved preparing the meal. Whether you opt for the shorter cooking time or the lower temperature setting for your oven-roasted vegetables or sheet of brownies, still follow the same indicators that the food is done as provided in the original recipe. Don't go by color alone, either. A convection oven is great for making food turn golden brown, but it still might be undercooked inside.
Just remember, while meats, vegetables, casseroles, cookies, and pies all do great in a convection oven, stay away from recipes with more temperamental batters, such as custards, cakes, and soufflés because they may be negatively affected by the hot air blowing them. The bottom line is to get outside of your comfort zone and give the convection oven setting a try. Your mouth may be pleasantly surprised by the goodness it produces in a fraction of the time.