Is there a general rule as if should bake something at 375 or 350 degrees, or does it really matter?
When I create my own recipe, I am never sure if I should bake it at 350 or 375 degrees. I have several cookie recipes that says to bake at 350 and others say to bake at 375. Is there a general rule of thumb as how to decide which to use?
Best Answer
Experimentation is the key in any recipe development, informed by the effect of the variable under investigation.
In baking cookies, the affect of the oven temperature will effect:
Spread. Cooler temperatures will allow the cookie to take longer to set, and so it will have longer to spread before it sets.
Height. This is the compliment to spread; cooler temperatures will allow the cookie to spread more, so it will have less height.
Drying. Cooler temperatures will allow the cookie longer to express steam, providing a somewhat dryer cookie. At its extreme, you can make quite dry, wafer type cookies.
Evenness of cooking. Cooler temperatures cook allow the to cook more eveningly from the outside to the inside. Hotter temperatures may allow, for example, browning at the edge or surface while the interior is under-cooked.
In most cookie recipes, the difference between 350 and 375 F may actually be smaller than other uncontrolled variables like the type of oven, individual oven variance, type of cookie sheet, size of individual cookies, and so. Additionally, within certain limits, there is a trade off between time and temperature.
For these reasons, you will need a high degree of consistency if you are doing dry runs to try to determine the optimal temperature.
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Is there a big difference between a 350 and 375 oven?
In most cookie recipes, the difference between 350 and 375 F may actually be smaller than other uncontrolled variables like the type of oven, individual oven variance, type of cookie sheet, size of individual cookies, and so. Additionally, within certain limits, there is a trade off between time and temperature.Can you bake the cookies at a different temperature than 375?
Cookie temperatures fluctuate, with some recipes as low as 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and a few as high as 425 degrees Fahrenheit, but most recipes land on 375 or 350 to evenly bake the entirety of the cookie.Can you bake something at a lower temperature for longer?
Tips for cooking multiple dishesThe lower the temperature, the longer it will take, and the juicier it will be. If cooking multiple dishes, set the temperature to what the nonmeat dish requires. Meat stays hot for a while. Large roasts, such as a ham or turkey, will stay hot for an hour after coming out of the oven.Why do most recipes call for 350 degrees?
The Maillard reaction is known to happen at some point between 300\xb0 and 350\xb0. Because ovens often fluctuate (or are incorrectly calibrated) a setting of 350\xb0 essentially ensures that the browning temperature is reached. Read: It's a clever way to make sure that all of those glorious flavors are formed.The Real Reason We Bake Everything At 350 Degrees
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