I heard, mostly when in doubt, 350 will do, and that works fine, for most things, but not all. I also know that certain things have to be very precise with time and temp, but how do you know when you're doing your own thing? Like, a homemade pizza at 425 for 20 minutes or 450 for 15 minutes. I know hotter doesn't mean faster, but I don't know why. Why is this lasagna done at 350 for an hour and that guy over there is doing his at 375 for 45?
garlichead
Über Member
Most time and temp is regurgitated from generally reliable sources that pretty much result in a desired outcome. This of course doesn't discount adaptability and self analysis. You may want to try different temps and times that will result in something you prefer. Also an ovens temperature is more than likely off and isn't cooking at what the analog or digital number actually says, which can be calibrated for accuracy or take a reading from a reliable tool to make any adjustments. Experience is essential for making those adjustments which I always encourage, cheers.
garlichead
Über Member
Well, it would seem to me that if an oven is too hot for a particular application that the problem will generally be an undercooked product while the surface begins to overcook, where time will be the important factor. For pizza I cook at around 800 degrees on my BBQ (commercial unit) and with a fairly thin crust for a margarita for example takes 3 minutes. In my house oven with same pizza at 500 degrees I let cook for around 10 to 12 minutes with similar but not better results, hot being the crucial factor for this example.
I get that, like searing something has to be very hot, for a chemical reaction to take place (The Maillard reaction). I guess I just figured since. I've been cooking my whole life that I would have some sort of "guideline" to follow, but it's always been "risky" for me, when I do some things, I don't have any confidence about me throwing "this or that" in the oven at "x" temp for "x" amount of time.
Like with the breads that I've been doing lately, some have been the same size loaves but one recipe called for 425 for like 30 minutes and the Sourdough I made a little while ago called for 500 for 20, then another 20 at 450 with the lid off. I would never be able to figure that out without recipe instructions.
Like with the breads that I've been doing lately, some have been the same size loaves but one recipe called for 425 for like 30 minutes and the Sourdough I made a little while ago called for 500 for 20, then another 20 at 450 with the lid off. I would never be able to figure that out without recipe instructions.
garlichead
Über Member
If a person doesn't understand why a tougher piece of meat is to be cooked at a lower temp and a tender piece of meat to be cook at a higher temp, generally speaking then it's from the lack of curiosity of cooking theory and why things work a certain way. Until a person attempts to understand the theory behind cooking, then recipes and guessing is all that person has to fall back on, which in turn doesn't inspire confidence or growth. Cheers.
TO EDIT: This has no reflection on you as a cook and I'm just talking generally. One of my besties loves to cook and eat out but if he's missing just one ingredient, he scraps the notion of cooking that particular recipe, and I tease him by saying, well, you could have used thyme instead of marjoram and he just laughs. Cheers.
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