Practical tips and advice
22
Practical tips and advice
Problem
Cause
Action needed
Bread and cakes are not rising
properly.
Too low an oven temperature means that
the baking is rising but then sinking flat
again.
Check the temperature used against that
recommended in the recipe.
Bread dough has not risen properly. Leav-
ing the dough to prove too long can cause
the bread to turn out flat. Dough should
prove in a warm, draught-free place. The
dough should spring back when touched
with the fingertips.
Check the proving time recommended in
the recipe.
Not enough yeast or baking powder.
Check that you used the quantity stated
in the recipe.
Yeast destroyed by hot fat or liquid.
The correct temperature for the liquid is
37°C for fresh yeast. See instructions on
the packet for dry yeast.
Bread and cakes are too dry.
Not enough liquid, too much flour, or the
wrong type of flour can cause bread to be
dry.
Check in the recipe that you have used
the correct type of flour and the correct
proportions of flour to liquid.
Too low an oven temperature means that
the baking has to remain too long in the
oven to cook, which leads to drying.
Check that you have used the correct
temperature setting.
Baking/food is too dark (browned).
Too high an oven temperature makes bak-
ing/other foods too dark on the surface
before fully cooked.
Check that you have used the correct
temperature setting.
Using too high a shelf position on “top/
bottom heat” means the heat from above
is too strong. A shelf position which is
too low causes the opposite problem.
Check in the recipe that you have chosen
the right oven position.
“Swift Start” has been switched on.
Check that you have turned the function
control to the setting required.
Baking/food is too pale.
Aluminium foil, baking trays or oven
dishes on the bottom of the oven hamper
the distribution of heat from below.
Do not have anything on the bottom of
the oven.
Light-coloured baking tins produce paler
cakes than dark tins.
If necessary, change to darker baking tins.
