Hi,
I just started baking in a new bakery. Always just baked at home before with my convection and or regular ovens. Whole new world to me these commrcial oven BEASTS. This thing is relativly new, the new owners took over a building that was built as a bakery, and less than a year old. Ok, so the ovens, one is an Imperial gas very large oven area, and cooktop. The monster is a Gemini, not sure what to call it other than it has a like 9' high glass door. Inside are about 12-15 rack areas and it rotates. I have only been there a few days now. Sometimes recipies are close on the time and temps, but more often than not, it cooks way faster than the recommened time required. then I have too dark tops and not done middles, cakes, muffins, cuppies.
Is there a rule of thumb on this thing. Owner seems to think I can hit and miss, but i feel really dumb.
She is a caterer, not really a baker, and hired me to be her head baker.
Any help or guidelines from all you pros is really appreciated.

Anybody??

Lower you temp by about 25 degrees ( ie. the receipe call for 350, put oven on 325)

Good Luck

When I moved from home oven to comm'l oven, I threw my first three cakes in the trash and was almost in tears thinking about how much money I had just spent on this oven and I can't bake in it!

I baked at home at 325, so I figured 300 in a convection would work. Nope .... too hot. Cakes were overdone on the outside, underdone on the inside and very very dry.

I finally figured the best combination for me was 275 and a pan of water in the bottom of the oven to add moisture. I assume the fan blowing in the oven 'dries out' the cake, so the water helps alot.

(I have a friend who opened a cupcake shop and he stopped using the convection ... didn't like the way the fan blew the tops of the cupcakes to the side .... he went to Sears and bought a regular household stove and uses that. I was surprised the HD ok'd it, but he said his county was fine with it.)

Thank you so much ladies. I am making myself nuts here.
Debi, would the recommended time be about accurate then with this method? I have tried turning it way down, but not quite that much, still not so good. Cupcakes keep falling in the middle. Muffins are raw on the inside and too done on top.ARGHHH!
Have only tried one cake so far, only 4th day there, but tomorrow they want cakes baked and decorated for a photo shoot.OMG.
Cake I did was a bundt and it turned out ok, go figure.

Is the fan on Hi that will make the cakes cook on the top and make them darker check to see if there is a control to put the fan on low. I keep my temp at 300deg. and low fan.

I can't really tell you about time because I haven't baked with a timer in years. Cookies are done when I can smell 'em ... cakes are done when I test the top with a push of my fingers (or if I'm feeling really technical about it, I'll use a toothpick). The only thing I ever use a timer for is when my granddaughter gets a time-out on the stairway and I set the timer for the 10 minutes she has to sit there. When the timer goes off, she can get up.

I have a commercial convection oven at home (Blodgett) and also bake with commercial ovens at work. I usually bake 25-50 degrees lower than what the recipe directs. Also the time is usually 1/2-2/3 what recipe directs but I always set a timer for what I estimate the 1/2 way point to be and check, turn pans and reset the timer for how much more I think it needs. Fan speed that is adjustable is really nice if you have that option. Cookies almost always take 6-8 minutes (325 degrees) for me.

cakesondemand, not sure if fan is adjustable, I'll check as soon as I get to work today. indydebi, I'll have to adjust my sniffer on high, lol. Still trying the water thing. Had it set yesterday and we lost power for the day, check it out today. Yomamma, thanks for the guide.
I feel better now that Ihave the back up of all you pros. Thanks so much.
I do love this job, and now i can even feel like I know what I am doing,lol.

Is it just a big rotating oven? If things are raw on the inside, and done on the outside your oven is to high. For muffins try around 300. For cookies around 330, 325. Times ???? they are done when they are done. I can't give you times.

Where in MI. I'm in SE if close I can stop by.

Mike

At the bakery I work at, we bake almost everything 25-50 degrees lower than at home, and usually for a shorter amount of time. We have a big rotating oven...I call it a walk-in oven because it has a big door and we slide our bakers rack into it. Anyways, when possible we put the trays with items to be baked towards the top of the bakers rack so the fan effects them less. The closer the items are to the bottom of the oven, the more the fan dries them out and/or distorts the shape.

indydebi,

I'm getting ready to open a bonafide shop & that was one of the things I checked on. Don't have to have a commercial oven or refrigerator. That was the deciding factor for me as there is no way I could afford to open at this point if I had to use commercial equipment. I have a double convection oven (residential) I'm going to use that has 5 racks. When I get busy enough to justify it I'll add a regular stove.

Considering what I've been reading here, I'm not sure I'd ever want the rotating convection oven that's being discussed. Sounds like you'd have to run your other ovens awhile while you learned the ins & outs of it & be willing to toss a bunch of product. But never say never. Down the road it might be just what I lust after. lol