The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

New convection oven

Mason's picture
Mason

New convection oven

I just replaced my decades-old standard oven with a new LG oven that has convection and proof settings.  I’d appreciate advice from the experienced about how to adapt to take advantage of the new oven’s convection and proofing features.

My traditional setting for my oven has been like this, with 1 1/2 square pizza stones above a tray of lava rocks.

The new convection oven, with its shiny blue-purple interior, has heating elements in top and bottom, and on the back wall.  I don’t know how I feel about the color, but the features have me eagerly anticipating new culinary adventures:

I just fed my sourdough, so I can start making bread tomorrow.  Some questions I’d appreciate advice about, before I start experimenting:

1. The new oven has a depression in the bottom that can be filled with water for cleaning.  Can I put the tray of lava rocks right on the bottom of the oven?

2. Then could I perhaps add another shelf of pizza stones and bake more loaves at a time?  That would be handy.  Is this possible?  Are there other aspects of my oven arrangement I can change to better take advantage of convection heating?

2. My typical freestanding sourdough loaves begin in an oven preheated to 460F, which I change down to 425F after the loaves go in.  Using the convection setting automatically drops the temperature I set down by 25F (so if I set it to 450, it changes this to 425). How should I set the oven temperature now?

4. Preheating the oven.  I usually preheat a good 1/2 hour or so, so the oven and stones are properly hot, and the oven keels it’s heat afire adding bread. Should I use convection for preheating, too?

5. Proofing.  I don’t often proof bread warm, preferring a room temperature slower rise, for better flavor.  But perhaps the final proof, after room temperature bulk fermentation and shaping would be better using the new oven’s proof setting, with a tray of water in the bottom (like a professional proofer, with heat and water in the bottom).  Then take loaves out for final 1/2 hour while oven preheats? Has anyone used a proofing oven like this?

 

tgrayson's picture
tgrayson

I never use the proofing feature...it's a bit too warm.

I only use convection about halfway through a bake...after the bread just starts to brown so I know the crust is set.

Sorin's picture
Sorin

Hi,

I preheat the stone at 300C for about 1h , convection or heat up and down - no fan , use steam injection for about 10-12-15 min at 230C - just when i see first spots of brown on the crust and achieve maximal spring oven , then turn to heat up and down for 15min at 230C and finish with convection for about 15-20 min at 210C . 

I have a proofing feature and a food probe which read the internal temperature in real time but never use it also for dough proofing or bulk. Maybe when the winter will comming to achieve more stable temperatures. 

Happy baking,

Sorin.