May 28, 2010 - 5:56pm
Need help with baking, oven temp
When I bake baguettes, they are coming out too dark on the bottom, too light on top. I have a baking stone in the floor of my oven (GE Profile gas) and I place the loaves in the perforated baguette trays in the middle of the oven. Also, the thermometer I place inside the oven reads a lower temperature than what the digital oven temperature indicator says, by anywhere from 25 to 50 degrees.
Any suggestions? Thanks, I love to bake breads (especially sourdough), have been doing it consistently for 8 months and want to keep improving, to the point that someday I may feel proud enough to put up some photos!
Sue
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While I can't pretend to be qualified on baguettes yet, I do recall that when I purchased my baguette pan that the manufacturer suggested using a baking temperature 25 degrees lower than the normal baking temperature.
I wouldn't put the stone directly onto the floor of the oven. If you're not using the stone to bake the breads right on it, I don't think it serves much purpose just to be in the oven. It might actually be creating more direct heat from the bottom of the oven.
So first thing I would do is to put the stone on a rack and bring it up at least to the middle rack, and bake breads right on the stone. I would then try to experiment and see which rack position works best in your oven.
If you still have the burning problem, I would try the following: (I don't know if this will work with a baking stone, but I think you can try without the stone and use your baguette mold.) Place a layer of aluminum foil on a rack and put that rack under the rack that has the baking stone (or mold - whatever the bread is on) on. I used to burn the bottom of my breads all the time, but I haven't had a single burnt bottom ever since I created this middle layer between the breads and the floor of my oven. Apparently it cuts the direct heat from the bottom and the heat circulates a little better throughout.
Good luck!!
Thank you, Whiskers and Postal Grunt.
I will try moving the stone up to the middle rack. I have baked directly on it, with less burning. I will also alternatively try the aluminum foil in the botton.
I like using the baguette trays because they hold the shape so nicely. I thought about lining them with parchment, and then just sliding the loaves and parchment into the oven but I'm wondering if the parchment, in flattening out, wouldn't pull the loaves out flatter too.
Anyway, I'll keep experimenting and learning, and will post the results.
Sue
My Julia Child cookbook says never to bake bread on metal it burns all the time. My first loaf was on a metal baking tray and it burnt on the bottom since then I have been using a aluminium cookie tray with the silicone mat and never had the problem again.
I have a slilcone mat. I've been meaning to try it; I'll have to dig it out and see how it works.