Baking in a toaster oven

Here in Texas it gets very hot in the summer and wanting to avoid heating up the kitchen, I used a portable table top oven that I placed on the porch outside. I put a dutch oven inside and let it heat up for an hour before I placed my dough in the dutch oven. I had to let it bake for a little longer than what the recipe called for, checking the internal temp every 5-minutes with my Thermapen until the interior of the loaf came up to 200 degrees f. The crust came out nicely dark and crisp, and the crumb was very good as well. I now use a Lodge combo-cooker in my kitchen oven as it's cool outside this time of year. Pre-heating the baking vessel makes all the difference in the world and extending the baking time is crucial as well. I alternate with a clay baking cloche from Breadtopia and my loaves come out consistently good. Let us know how things turn out. Have fun.

i often use a breville smart oven for single loaf baking.  I usually set the temperature a few degrees higher than the recipes specify, and I cook for a few minutes longer.  Pizza in a toaster oven is not going to make me happy, ever.....but you coulf try using a cast iron pizza stone preheated on the stovetop, then placed inside the oven.

Tips and tricks... Turn the black baking pan upside down on the bottom shelf leaving about 1cm space from the back wall and bake on it.  Amazing how it traps heat under the loaf for baking goodies.  Preheat the oven without the pan first for larger items.  For rolls and pizza you might want to leave it in the oven and slide batches in and out.  (this can vary from oven to oven)  I see your oven has a rotisserie set up for chickens.  Nice.  Only down side is the heating elements on the bottom might be very far apart, that's the reason for putting the pan in upside down.  :)   

I've got 3 mini ovens in camp here in Laos.  They are all just a tiny bit different, an Electrolux (38ltr), a Sharp (28ltr) and Houseworth (48ltr)   That last one has a fermenting function so I would like to play with that one soon.  They all take about 15 to 20 minutes to warm up, so set the timer on max (most of them coast the last 10 minutes of baking) and reset when the loaf goes in.   Baking Parchment paper is your friend so get a roll that will save you the most cutting and trimming.  

Your oven may also have separate dials for upper and lower heat.  I will still rotate the baking loaf as the back seems to brown the crust more than the front, I tend to do that after the initial oven spring to let trapped steam out at the same time.  I don't find the temps "off" from regular electric ovens.  So check your settings and make sure upper and lower heat coils are both working and getting hot.  

:)  Mini 

bread in a mini oven.  My favorite way is to use a stainless steel mixing bowl and place it over the bread to trap the stream from the loaf or the first 18 - 20 minutes at 450 F and then take it off and turn it down to 425 F with the fan on now to brown and dry out the crust.  You will want to spin the bread around after 6 minutes to brown it evenly and if it gets to f=dark before the inside is 205 F then just turn it over over or cover with aluminum foil.  You just don'twant to make the loaves too big say 600 G  or so.

I also take a Pyrex cup with a dish towel rolled up and fill it with water.  I heat it in a  microwave.  When the bread goes in the oven I put the cup of steaming water in there too and that steams the bread.  My mini oven makes just as good a bread as my big GE oven does!

Hello

I posted this info to another member earlier ......

I occasionally bake in a bench top oven  , 210mm  between elements   , that will bake  tallish sandwich   loaves  , but is not ideal.   Minimum clearance top and bottom  50 mm for a 150mm tin is pushing it , but it can be done .  The temp. has to be kept around 150*C  , bake time extended , and a weather eye kept open .Smaller loaves , formed and free-formed ,  rolls , and sticks  , much the same , middle of oven  and don't stray too far .

 Its' the clearance top and bottom that is crucial .  Also , mine is lightweight sheet metal , single skin , and will hold the pre-heat  heat well ,  so no oven spring to speak of . I've tried  steam , but found no particular difference to dry heat baking 

  Sourdough ciabatta ,   batard ,  baguette ,  and   the like may be the ones . Plus  small loaves in tin-pans , rolls and buns  , pizza too if the stone fits .  

Give it a go  (Y) 

any oven can  here is a list of mini oven baked from the summer of 2012.  It is so hot here in AX in the simmer I take the MO outside and bake there right on the patio.  You will see al the different kind of ways to make steam . from bowls to post to steam under in a pan and Sylvia's steaming cups.  Do not be worried about making great bread in yours no worries at all.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/35866/minis-100-hydration-rye-walnut-and-seed-bread-soaker-dopplebock

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29002/sd-yw-chacon-revisited-%E2%80%93-87-whole-grain-multigrain-sprouts-walnut-and-sage-paste-and-pump

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29145/sourdough-duram-atta-bread-%E2%80%93-pharaoh%E2%80%99s-mastaba-style

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29079/jasmine-tea-50-whole-multigrain-sd-yw-durum-atta-bread-wheat-germ-flax-and-chia-seeds

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29120/buckwheat-60-multigrain-yw-sd-bread-walnuts-sage-flax-wheat-germ-apples-prunes-and-groats

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29120/buckwheat-60-multigrain-yw-sd-bread-walnuts-sage-flax-wheat-germ-apples-prunes-and-groats

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29236/sd-and-yw-semolina-bread-and-pizza-sun-dried-tomato-rosemary-mojo-de-ajo-and-garlic

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29236/sd-and-yw-semolina-bread-and-pizza-sun-dried-tomato-rosemary-mojo-de-ajo-and-garlic

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29577/50-rye-sd-knotted-rolls-wheat-germ-caraway-and-sunflower-seeds

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29663/yw-vs-desem-sd-caramelized-onion-basil-bacon-parmesan-rolls

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29681/15-whole-wheat-bagels-yw-and-sd-desem-combo-starter

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29801/100-whole-grain-rye-rye-sprouts-%E2%80%93-yw-sd-combo-starter

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/29899/multigrain-sd-yw-combo-chicken-stock-soaker-seeds

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/30040/spelt-rye-and-whole-wheat-soudough-boule-flax-seed-honey-and-malts-simple-tasty-bread

Happy Mini Oven Baking 

in mine.  :)   I also bake squashes and empanadas (seafood and lots of cheese!) and baked potatoes, yams, etc.

My Vienna dough (white wheat) single loaf doesn't go over 500g flour or it gets too big for the 38 ltr oven.  The ryes (60% plus) go up to 1200 to1300g of dough.  I'm putting one blueberry cheese braid in tomorrow (half recipe) might have to make two little ones or use the 48 ltr oven.  I should have made a one-third recipe...  It may work out, the dough is 375g flour.  If it looks too big after braiding, I might drop it into a 12" pullman pan for the bake.  That ought to be interesting.   :)

I used the Panasonic Flash Xpress Toaster Oven. It's giving me nice service. You can try this.

Just having a little fun with a third rise on a Vienna loaf (white bread basic, 500g flour)

I just purchased a Breville to bake small loaves in. I find that it significantly browns the top compared to my standard oven. A lot of what I read said that counter ovens need higher temps and longer bake time, but in this case I think I'm on the other end. I normally bake the bread at 350, would going down to 325 and backing longer help with the over browning of the top? Or would I better served just putting tin foil on top at some point to reduce the browning? Do you just lightly place on top of the loaf/loaves?

Thanks!