Any cooks here?

[opus]

What’s the point of preheating the oven to 400 and then going down to 350 when you put it in? Why can’t I just preheat to 350 from the outset?

[Foggy]

I'm more of a baker than a cook, but my wife has had many years as a cook!


By preheating and then adjusting the temperature, you can achieve optimal cooking results for a variety of dishes.

If you preheat to a higher degree, when you open the oven door the temperature will drop, then you readjust the temperature to the cooking temperature after you have put the dish in the oven. then your cooking time will cook on the proper temperature.


Benefits of Preheating:

Even Cooking: Preheating helps to cook food evenly. If you start cooking in a cold oven, the food may not cook properly, leading to uneven textures and flavors.

Proper Rise: Foods that need to rise, such as bread and pastries, require a hot oven to achieve the right texture. A preheated oven provides the initial burst of heat necessary for proper rising.

Flavor Development: For roasting vegetables or meats, starting in a hot oven helps with caramelization, enhancing the flavor.




Adjusting Temperature During Cooking
Dropping the temperature from 400 degrees to 350 degrees after preheating can be beneficial for certain recipes.

Reasons for Lowering the Temperature

Prevent Over-Browning: High temperatures can cause the outside of the food to brown too quickly while the inside remains undercooked. Lowering the temperature allows for more thorough cooking without burning the exterior.

Longer Cooking Time: Some dishes, like casseroles or baked goods, benefit from a longer cooking time at a lower temperature to ensure they cook through without drying out.

Specific Recipe Requirements: Many recipes specify a two-step cooking process, starting at a higher temperature for initial cooking and then reducing it for the remainder.

[opus]

Originally Posted by Foggy

I'm more of a baker than a cook, but my wife has had many years as a cook!

Whattaya bake?

[Dude111]

I used to love cookingforengineers.com Opus.....

Last week it went to a 500 error and the Admin doesnt seem to be fixing it..... Its sad as it was a good site!!

I tried emailing him and telling him but he doesnt seem to care........

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by opus

Whattaya bake?

Desserts of course

Pies,
Brownies (from scratch - no box mix)
Fudge
and lots and lots of different cookies.
I have even made donuts!

At Christmas time, I use to take up
dozens and dozens (around 360 cookies) of different Christmas cookies
to out local Radio/TV Station.
Why??
Just for the fun of it! I become known as SANTA CLAUDE

[opus]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Desserts of course

Pies,
Brownies (from scratch - no box mix)
Fudge
and lots and lots of different cookies.
I have even made donuts!

Do bread. Fresh baked bread.

Originally Posted by Foggy

At Christmas time, I use to take up
dozens and dozens (around 360 cookies) of different Christmas cookies
to out local Radio/TV Station.
Why??
Just for the fun of it! I become known as SANTA CLAUDE

Good stuff. Just not as good as Santa Barbara.

[Dude111]

He fixed it Opus!!

Please come check it out

www.cookingforengineers.com/forums

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Foggy

Desserts of course

Pies,
Brownies (from scratch - no box mix)
Fudge
and lots and lots of different cookies.
I have even made donuts!

Originally Posted by opus

Do bread. Fresh baked bread.

My wife does BREADS! We use to have a Bread Machine back in the 90's ...
we wore it out!
My wife does make French Bread, Italian Bread, Buns.,
and a Date Nut Bread at Christmas.

Here is a couple books:
+150 Bread Recipes
The No-Fuss Bread Machine Cookbook.

[opus]

Originally Posted by Foggy

My wife does BREADS! We use to have a Bread Machine back in the 90's ...
we wore it out!
My wife does make French Bread, Italian Bread, Buns.,
and a Date Nut Bread at Christmas.

Here is a couple books:
+150 Bread Recipes
The No-Fuss Bread Machine Cookbook.

Sounds like you guys are well covered, baking-wise.

Circling back around to my opening point, I still stand by that if something’s cooking for over 2 hours it doesn’t matter if the oven’s preheated to 400 and then immediately dropped to 350 or if it’s originally preheated to 350 and left there.

[Dude111]

Did ya check out the cooking site yet Opus?

[GoldenTV]

Originally Posted by opus

Circling back around to my opening point, I still stand by that if something’s cooking for over 2 hours it doesn’t matter if the oven’s preheated to 400 and then immediately dropped to 350 or if it’s originally preheated to 350 and left there.

Foggy was right in his initial post when he wrote:" Flavor Development: For roasting vegetables or meats, starting in a hot oven helps with caramelization, enhancing the flavor."

And that is pretty much true. Initial high oven temperature (400) help sear outside of meat to lock in juices and caramelize the meat to give it extra flavor. Just like putting a thick steak on real hot grill (or smoking hot skillet) to caramelize the outside and lock in the juices, and then move it to lower temperature side of grill to continue cooking without burning it

[Babalu]

Originally Posted by Foggy

If you preheat to a higher degree, when you open the oven door the temperature will drop, then you readjust the temperature to the cooking temperature after you have put the dish in the oven. then your cooking time will cook on the proper temperature.

Exactly. I'm no cook and even I can figure that out.

In fact, I didn't even turn my oven on until Covid and I had to cook. My kitchen was supposed to look good, not be used.

[opus]

Originally Posted by Dude111

Did ya check out the cooking site yet Opus?

No, because I’m not a cook.

I am pretty good at Grubhub however.

[Dude111]

There are alot of recipes posted there also! (I posted 1 a few weeks ago)