Moffat Turbofan or convection oven: advice needed: baking with a baking stone
Hello Bakers. I got a Moffat Turbofan E32D5 and it works beautifully for bread baking in a Dutch Oven (or any other type of baking – e.g. cookies, cakes etc.). I decided to take it up a notch and experiment baking my bread on a stone. To test it out, I got pizza stone tiles (~1/2") and put them on the middle rack. I baked one loaf with 3 water injections in the beginning, several ice cubes on the tiles, with the fan on, at 450F, and after 20 min, I took it down to 420F for 15 min. It was a complete bust. The bread was lopsided (see picture) - the top of the bread was very dry and almost burnt. It also had a huge air hole under the crust. The bottom part of the bread was very dense. (I am assuming the crust got hard too quickly and the steam could not escape...) I baked two other loaves from the same dough (one in a hot DO and one in a cold DO = both turned out just fine.) So, I know the dough was ok. Can you please share your method of baking with the Moffat (or any other large convection oven) (fan on or off, the type of tile, temperature, steam, etc.?) I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.
There have been many threads on that, baking a bare boule with convection:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/search/node/convection%20blowout
quick answer: the blowing air dries and sets the top crust too fast, and the expanding dough "blows out" towards the bottom and opposite the side where the air is blowng on.
Products that don't rise as much as bread don't get the problem. And of course, a dutch oven protects the dough from the blowing air.
For more details, and discussions of fan-on/fan-off, adjustments, work-arounds, and caveats, there are good comments on those threads.
(And just saw someone's great reply to your question on the other Moffat thread.)
Hi idaveindy. Thank you very much for your reply. I did not know that what happened to my bread is called "blowout"?! Make sense. I am following up on the "blowout" link. I will also try the instructions provided by HappyBreadHouse. Exited for my next bake. Thank you.
Hi ? this is in regards to your comment on the blowing air drying out product too fast. I just got a turbofan E32D5 too and is experiencing this issues with my cookies. When baking in my home oven it’s perfect! After adjusting to the turbofan I got it as close to how it should be as much as possible but not the same. I think it’s due to what you said which is the blowing too fast even with my fan setting in low. Any tips on minimizing or even eliminating the surface and edges too quickly?
A correction from previous post. *tips on eliminating/minimizing browning surface/edges of cookies.
standard home oven 350dF 12 mins; turbofan 305dF 10 mins
Hi CcB2020,
I actually have the same protocol: for cookies, I bake with NO fan and take the temp down 10 F. That seems to work for me.
I did check the internal temp of my oven and it seems quite accurate. But for some reason, this oven seems to brown faster. I have no explanation for it but from experience, I take the temp down 10F.
Hope that helps a bit. Best, Silvia