Though widely available, convection ovens still perplex a lot of home cooks. Also known as fan-assisted ovens, convection ovens have an additional fan and exhaust system that can be turned on to disperse hot air evenly throughout the chamber. This helps food cook faster and more evenly and leads to extra crispy oven-bake dishes like roasted root vegetables and store-bought pizzas. Sounds great right? Well, there are actually a few things that you don’t want to use the convection setting for.
While a convection oven is great for dishes like roasted meat or fish, it can disrupt the rising process for some baked goods like cakes, pastries, and certain breads. This is because the immersive heat can cause the outside of the dish to cook faster than the inside, potentially leading to uneven cakes and misshapen crusts. This will especially impact soufflés, custards, and cheesecakes, as well as cakes with loose batters. Baked goods that are meant to retain moisture, like fudgy chocolate brownies, can also dry out in a convection oven.
When to use the convection oven
All that being said, the convection oven is still a superbly useful tool for some baked goods. It’s a huge help when you need to use multiple racks, like when you’re making a batch of chocolate chip cookies. One of the biggest misconceptions about convection ovens is that they don’t cook pies well, but they can actually give pie crusts and tarts a perfectly crisp finish. Depending on your bread recipe, the convection setting can also help with crusts, though it’s not always recommended for quick breads such as banana bread or muffins.
If your oven has an optional convection setting and you want to try it out, there are a few things to consider before you start baking. First, you’ll generally want to reduce the temperature your recipe calls for by about 25 degrees Fahrenheit if your oven doesn’t adjust it automatically. You should also check on your food frequently toward the end of the cooking time, as it will still cook faster even with the lowered temperature. Take a peek when it’s about three-quarters of the way through the usual baking time, so about 15 minutes early for something like a pie.
Finally, use low-sided dishes and pans when possible, and try not to crowd the oven to ensure the air is blown throughout it evenly. With a little bit of caution, you’ll master that convection oven in no time, with no lopsided cakes to be seen.
