10
Problem Causes What to do
Uneven cooking • Incorrect shelf position • Select shelf which puts food in
centre of oven
• Oven tray too large • Try other trays or dishes
• Trays not in centre of oven • Put trays in centre of oven
• Air flow in oven uneven • Turn food during cooking
Baked products too • Oven not preheated • Preheat until indicator light goes
brown on top off
• Aluminium foil in oven • Remove foil
• Baking tins too large for recipe • Use correct size tins
• Baking tins not evenly spaced • Place baking tins so that there is
at least 3 cms between tins and
oven walls
• Food not evenly sized or placed • Make food same size and shape
on trays and spread evenly on trays
• Food placed too close to top of • Place food in middle or on a
oven lower shelf
Baked products too • Baking temperature too high • Lower temperature
brown on bottom • Baking tins too large for recipe • Use correct size tins
• Baking tins are dark metal or • Change to shiny, light tins or
glass lower temperature by 10°C
• Food too low in oven • Cook one shelf higher
• Oven door opened to • Do not open door until half way
frequently during cooking through cooking time
Cakes have cracked • Baking temperature too high • Lower temperature
thick crust • Food too high in oven • Cook one shelf lower
• Cake batter overmixed • Mix just long enough to
combine ingredients
• Pan too deep • Check size of pan and use
recommended size
• Baking tins too dark • Change to shiny tins
Baking products are • Baking temperature too low • Raise temperature
pale, flat and • Food too low in oven • Cook one shelf higher
undercooked • Baking time too short • Increase cooking time
• Incorrect tin size • Use correct size tin
Cakes fallen in • Baking temperature too low • Raise temperature
centre • Baking time too short • Increase cooking time
• Measurement of ingredients is • Check recipe
wrong
• Door opened too early • Do not open door until three quarters
(3/4) of way through cooking time
Crusts too thick • Incorrect ingredients • Check recipe
Meat and potatoes not • Poor circulation • Put food onto a rack to allow air
browning in fan oven to circulate
Juices running out of • Do not pierce meat with fork but
meat turn with tongs
NOTE: Condensation on oven door is normal.
Handling Baking Problems
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