Soft Baked Goods in Stoneware: What Am I Doing Wrong?

[Becky0216]

I just can't seem to get the stonewear to work for me to make baked goods. I get perfect results for my items I want crispy, but not soft. When I make brownies, cookies and cinamon rolls, they end up hard as a rock as they start to cool. What am I doing wrong? I am always telling my customers that you can make brownies in stone and you wont get hard edges, but I do.TIA

 

[erinb]

I'd say take them out earlier. The stone stays so hot that whatever is in it will continue baking until it cools enough. HTH

 

[Kathy Huffstatler]

I have an electric oven and I make brownies in the medium bar pan or the 9 x 13 rectangle baker quite often and they turn out great. I follow the directions for dark pans which I think is a lower temerature. I like to line my stone with parchment for easy removal and clean up. Once they are cooled enough I remove to my cutting board and they cut up nicely. When baking cookies on my flat stones and the recipe calls for 10-13 minutes they are usually done at 12-13 minutes. If you continue to have problems with over baking you may want to check the oven temp regulator. :chef:

 

[pampermejolene]

Also, if you are using the large pan it might be bigger than the suggested pan from the recipe. If so, your brownies will be thinner and need less cook time.

I'm a newer consultant and had never heard of stones (amazing, because I LOVE to bake!) Anyhow, I didn't believe or see the fuss about them, but now that I use one, I'm in love. :love:

 

[Becky0216]

I love them for meats and pizzas etc. I am just failing at baked goods. I will try to lower the temp and cooking times. i have a gas oven. the temp is correct, so maybe just lower temp will work. Thanks

 

[wadesgirl]

I have a gas oven and don't have problems with baked goods. With cookies, you need to take them out before they look done. They will finish baking on the stoneware until you can remove them and will crisp up too. With brownies, make sure you are using the largest box of brownie mix you can find. I make regular brownies from the box that says for a 9x13 pan. They are a little thin but they should be good not hard. You could also try two of the little boxes which will give you a thicker brownie.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I have a gas oven and don't have problems with baked goods. With cookies, you need to take them out before they look done. They will finish baking on the stoneware until you can remove them and will crisp up too. With brownies, make sure you are using the largest box of brownie mix you can find. I make regular brownies from the box that says for a 9x13 pan. They are a little thin but they should be good not hard. You could also try two of the little boxes which will give you a thicker brownie.

Some people use 2 of the 9x13 brownie packages on the large bar pan.

I agree with those that said to cook the brownie for a shorter amount of time.

 

[lkprescott]

The only time I've had 'crunchy' brownies was when I overbaked them, time wise... which was bad since it was at a show. LOL... but folks still ate them and seemed to enjoy them. Thing is, if a baked good doesn't come out right, just call it something else. Crispy brownies can be called bar cookies... and hard cookies can be called skeet. Just kidding... I love my stones for baking and never looked back to my ugly ol' sheet pans.

 

[chefann]

I find that brownies are always better cooked at a lower temp (take off 25 degrees), and sometimes even for less time than on the package. They stay gooey and soft that way.

 

[Stephaniecafe]

Perhaps the problem may be that you are expecting a stone to make a soft cookie or brownie when they are specifically designed to be pourous and take moisture away. It is perfect for crispy cookies but makes it a little more tricky to get a chewy cookie. It can be done though. In the bakery we used the stone ovens for breads and rolls and crispy stuff. Cookies got sheet pans. I have better luck with the sheet pans on soft cookies and keep the stones for crispy crusts. Too bad the sheet pans are going through their "change". Until then, do lower the temperature, or shorten the cooking time a bit. Remove cookies to a cooling rack or parchment lined countertop to cool.

 

[Becky0216]

Stephanie,
I figured the cookies being crunchy was because of the stone, but I was told brownies come out of stone with no crust. That everything is uniformly cooked and moist.
I will have to try it again at lower temp less time.