have hotter and cooler spots, then rotating is a good idea.
It’s never a good idea to overload your conventional oven (convection ovens can handle many more pans), because too many pans will inhibit the circulation of hot air, causing uneven baking. But most ovens can handle two or three pans at once, with proper rotation to ensure even baking. Make sure that pans have at least an inch of clearance between each other and the walls of the oven. If you are baking on two different racks, try to stagger the pans so that one isn’t sitting directly below another, blocking the heat.
It’s important not to rotate your pans too early during baking. Before baked goods have begun to set, their structure is fragile and their rise provisional. Air bubbles that are still expanding in the heat of the oven may shrink on contact with the cold air rushing in. Shaking a pan of unset batter even gently in the first minutes of baking may cause it to collapse. So wait until your baked goods have begun to set but are not yet brown before rotating.
In general, the back of the oven is hotter than the front. If you have only one pan in the oven, rotate it 180 degrees once during baking. If you have two pans on the same shelf, rest one on the oven door while you rotate the other and shift it to the other side of the oven. Then rotate the first pan and place it on the side opposite from where it was. If the pans are in the bottom and top thirds of the oven respectively, don’t forget to rotate them 180 degrees when you switch their positions.
Some people like to bake two batches of cookies at once. To do this, place the racks in the top of the lower third and the bottom of the upper third of the oven before preheating. Stagger the baking sheets so they are not directly on top of one another.
Q I’d like to winnow my collection of potholders and oven mitts. How many do I really need?
A Generally speaking, oven mitts provide more protection of the hands and arms than potholders, while potholders provide some versatility, functioning as trivets for hot pans on the countertop. At the minimum, I’d have a pair of mitts and two potholders. Although not essential, a heatproof handle cover is nice to have for times when you are transferring a hot handled pan to the oven. Remember, however, that heatproof handle covers should be removed before you close the oven door. To avoid burns, it’s definitely a good idea to go through your collection periodically and get rid of any fire-damaged or threadbare ones.
Q I’m in the market for new potholders and oven mitts. Which ones are the best — silicone, Kevlar, leather, or good old padded cotton terry?
A A confusing array of high-tech, expensive potholders and oven mitts have recently come onto the market. Are they worth the money? As far as protecting hands from heat, inexpensive padded cotton will allow you to hold a hot pan long enough to get it from the oven to a cooling rack. (Avoid thin cotton potholders, though, as they won’t offer any more insulating protection than a folded kitchen towel.)
Potholders made of more expensive materials offer more. Silicone provides superior and extended protection from heat. With a pair of silicone mitts, you could hold a very hot pizza pan for minutes on end without feeling a thing. The question is, do you really need to hold a hot pan for minutes on end?
Silicone mitts can also come into contact with an open flame for several seconds without catching fire. Silicone is also easier to keep clean than traditional cotton, since it can be thrown into the dishwasher and comes out looking like new. Many bakers, however, object to silicone’s relative inflexibility. The material is so heavy and stiff that it is sometimes difficult to feel whether or not your hands are in contact with the pan. Its bulk may present a problem when you are transferring delicate or small items — a thin tart baked in a pan with a removable bottom, for example — if it bumps up against
It’s never a good idea to overload your conventional oven (convection ovens can handle many more pans), because too many pans will inhibit the circulation of hot air, causing uneven baking. But most ovens can handle two or three pans at once, with proper rotation to ensure even baking. Make sure that pans have at least an inch of clearance between each other and the walls of the oven. If you are baking on two different racks, try to stagger the pans so that one isn’t sitting directly below another, blocking the heat.
It’s important not to rotate your pans too early during baking. Before baked goods have begun to set, their structure is fragile and their rise provisional. Air bubbles that are still expanding in the heat of the oven may shrink on contact with the cold air rushing in. Shaking a pan of unset batter even gently in the first minutes of baking may cause it to collapse. So wait until your baked goods have begun to set but are not yet brown before rotating.
In general, the back of the oven is hotter than the front. If you have only one pan in the oven, rotate it 180 degrees once during baking. If you have two pans on the same shelf, rest one on the oven door while you rotate the other and shift it to the other side of the oven. Then rotate the first pan and place it on the side opposite from where it was. If the pans are in the bottom and top thirds of the oven respectively, don’t forget to rotate them 180 degrees when you switch their positions.
Some people like to bake two batches of cookies at once. To do this, place the racks in the top of the lower third and the bottom of the upper third of the oven before preheating. Stagger the baking sheets so they are not directly on top of one another.
Q I’d like to winnow my collection of potholders and oven mitts. How many do I really need?
A Generally speaking, oven mitts provide more protection of the hands and arms than potholders, while potholders provide some versatility, functioning as trivets for hot pans on the countertop. At the minimum, I’d have a pair of mitts and two potholders. Although not essential, a heatproof handle cover is nice to have for times when you are transferring a hot handled pan to the oven. Remember, however, that heatproof handle covers should be removed before you close the oven door. To avoid burns, it’s definitely a good idea to go through your collection periodically and get rid of any fire-damaged or threadbare ones.
Q I’m in the market for new potholders and oven mitts. Which ones are the best — silicone, Kevlar, leather, or good old padded cotton terry?
A A confusing array of high-tech, expensive potholders and oven mitts have recently come onto the market. Are they worth the money? As far as protecting hands from heat, inexpensive padded cotton will allow you to hold a hot pan long enough to get it from the oven to a cooling rack. (Avoid thin cotton potholders, though, as they won’t offer any more insulating protection than a folded kitchen towel.)
Potholders made of more expensive materials offer more. Silicone provides superior and extended protection from heat. With a pair of silicone mitts, you could hold a very hot pizza pan for minutes on end without feeling a thing. The question is, do you really need to hold a hot pan for minutes on end?
Silicone mitts can also come into contact with an open flame for several seconds without catching fire. Silicone is also easier to keep clean than traditional cotton, since it can be thrown into the dishwasher and comes out looking like new. Many bakers, however, object to silicone’s relative inflexibility. The material is so heavy and stiff that it is sometimes difficult to feel whether or not your hands are in contact with the pan. Its bulk may present a problem when you are transferring delicate or small items — a thin tart baked in a pan with a removable bottom, for example — if it bumps up against
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