Why is my bar pan giving me trouble?

[slingmommy]

I have used my large bar pan three times and all three times I have had trouble. The first time I used it to make cookies (I know, true cookie people will tell you never make cookies on anything with sides, but I didn't know that). The cookies in the front were burned to a crisp and the ones in the back were raw. The second time I used it to make the chicken recipe that comes on the information card. The chicken was wonderful, but the sauce all around it in the pan burned completely black. I spent 30 minutes running it under hot water and scraping it with a knife to get it off. I have a big black stain in the middle of the pan that will not come off. Tonight I used it to make pizza dough. The dough was brown and crisp on the bottom and soft and white on the top. What is going on? I am not the world's greatest cook, but I thought that this wasn't supposed to ever happen with stoneware. Can anyone give me a heads up on what I might be doing wrong? Could my stone be damaged or am I just a total dunderhead? Help!

 

[lizcooks4u]

nothing wrong ...

I have used my large bar pan three times and all three times I have had trouble. The first time I used it to make cookies (I know, true cookie people will tell you never make cookies on anything with sides, but I didn't know that). The cookies in the front were burned to a crisp and the ones in the back were raw. The second time I used it to make the chicken recipe that comes on the information card. The chicken was wonderful, but the sauce all around it in the pan burned completely black. I spent 30 minutes running it under hot water and scraping it with a knife to get it off. I have a big black stain in the middle of the pan that will not come off. Tonight I used it to make pizza dough. The dough was brown and crisp on the bottom and soft and white on the top. What is going on? I am not the world's greatest cook, but I thought that this wasn't supposed to ever happen with stoneware. Can anyone give me a heads up on what I might be doing wrong? Could my stone be damaged or am I just a total dunderhead? Help!

the big brown spot is the "seasoning" won't come off but it's clean/ok.

Even though they're supposed to be seasoned, I normally Spritz the stoneware with Olive Oil prior to using it.
sometimes running under cool water helps, I had problems with my loaf pan though, and I just cooked something in it with high fat and it fell right out. I also had trouble with the small oval baker, velveeta chz wouldn't come off, It took me forever, I even re heated it trying to get it to scrape right off, someone on here suggested soaking in baking soda (the stuff that makes fridge smell good) sometimes I get it confused with baking powder.

anyways, I've not had problems since and usually comes right off.

I"ve also been told for the stoneware pieces, the uglier it is the better it is, sometimes they're so ugly you just want to pitch them, but they're supposed to be ugly (seasoning).

HTH

liz

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I have used my large bar pan three times and all three times I have had trouble. The first time I used it to make cookies (I know, true cookie people will tell you never make cookies on anything with sides, but I didn't know that). The cookies in the front were burned to a crisp and the ones in the back were raw. The second time I used it to make the chicken recipe that comes on the information card. The chicken was wonderful, but the sauce all around it in the pan burned completely black. I spent 30 minutes running it under hot water and scraping it with a knife to get it off. I have a big black stain in the middle of the pan that will not come off. Tonight I used it to make pizza dough. The dough was brown and crisp on the bottom and soft and white on the top. What is going on? I am not the world's greatest cook, but I thought that this wasn't supposed to ever happen with stoneware. Can anyone give me a heads up on what I might be doing wrong? Could my stone be damaged or am I just a total dunderhead? Help!

Sounds like you may have your rack in your oven too close to the bottom of the oven(for most things it should be in the middle)....or possibly your oven isn't heating evenly...Check to make sure it seals tight when you close the door, and invest in an oven thermometer (less than $10) to monitor the heat in your oven - making sure that the temp is actually what you have it set at

 

[mom2leelee]

I agree that it sounds like an oven problem and uneven heating.

Also I'm very interested in knowing why you never make cookies on anything w/ sides???

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I agree that it sounds like an oven problem and uneven heating.

Also I'm very interested in knowing why you never make cookies on anything w/ sides???

In order for the air to circulate, and for cookies to bake evenly "the experts" say that you should always bake your cookies on a flat pan (stone)...with that said, and knowing full well what the experts recommend, I use my bar pan all the time when baking cookies, aand they are just fine!

 

[mom2leelee]

Ok just wondering because when making cookies I usually do some on my bar pan and some on my round stone and I can't tell the differance.

 

[PamperChefCarol]

In order for the air to circulate, and for cookies to bake evenly "the experts" say that you should always bake your cookies on a flat pan (stone)...with that said, and knowing full well what the experts recommend, I use my bar pan all the time when baking cookies, aand they are just fine!

Not an expert, nor do I play on on TV (little joke there.. ok very little) but those same "experts" are all baking on sheet pans in production settings, and the last time I looked, sheet pans all had sides.

Looking at one right now... yup... it has an edge! There is plenty of circulation in an oven. Plus, those "experts" are using convection type ovens where air is moving all around. Speaking of circulation, Alton Brown did a bit last night about ovens (he was doing a standing rib roast) and explained how ovens work. Did you know that a clean oven is much better than one with gunk on the bottom?

I am off to set my oven to clean.

 

[pcleah]

Do you keep anything in your oven? I did a show and made a pizza. The host pre-heated the oven for me. She checked the rack and when I opened the oven to put the pizza in, she keeps her broiler pan in the bottom?!?!? I have no idea why. The pizza did not cook correctly.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[TWhipple]

I would definitely recommend spritzing your new stoneware with cooking oil before using for first few times. For stubborn stuff stuck on mine I also will let my stone sit and soak in water for a bit and this usually softens what is baked on and it scrapes right off. I also use the Easy Clean Brush to scrub mine it is product #1625 for 8.50 page 26 in the book, pictured with the suds pump. the tip of this brush acts like the nylon pan scraper and the brush is great for getting gunk out of the stoneware muffin cups or fluted pan too.

also agree about the oven not heating right, and another thing is did you put anything else in the oven at the same time to heat up? If you did that will also cause it to cook unevenly. The heat won't distribute correctly if there are too many things on the racks. If you do this I have heard (don't know if this was "experts" or not ;-) that you should rotate things if you have two items in the oven at the same time. This is supposed to help them cook evenly. I figure just cook them one at a time is best so you don't have to think about it at all.

Tracy

 

[slingmommy]

Thanks for the info everyone! I am having my oven checked. We live in an apartment and the oven is really old so I'm having my landlord come take a look at it. Thanks for the advice!

 

[pcjulie]

I know I read somewhere that the ideal place to use your stoneware in the oven is on the rack second from the bottom. Maybe that would help also!

 

[dianevill]

I know I read somewhere that the ideal place to use your stoneware in the oven is on the rack second from the bottom. Maybe that would help also!

I have read the same thing and using the second bottom rack has helped quite a bit.

Also, even if I only have one pan in the oven, I rotate my pan front to back. I have a hot spot in the back left, and cookies/crusts will burn if I don't rotate, no matter what pan I use. I have to say, though, that if I forget to turn my dish and I'm cooking on a stone, the burning isn't as bad as if I've used a metal sheet.

If I have two pans of cookies in the oven, I rotate which rack they're on as well as rotate from front to back.

Diane

 

[chefann]

We live in an apartment and the oven is really old so I'm having my landlord come take a look at it. Thanks for the advice!

Yep- definitely have it checked. My oven is really old, too, and it's a wall oven so it's not a simple proposition to replace it. The temp varies by usually 50 degrees from where I set it, and has occasionally been off by almost 100! Invest in an oven thermometer (available at your preferred discount store), so you can make sure things are where they should be, temperature-wise.