As of: January 23, 2024, 8:00 a.m
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When baking in the oven, in addition to the top and bottom heat, there is also the circulating air function.
But which setting is worth it and when?
Whether pizza, cake or vegetable casserole: all of these delicacies can be prepared perfectly in the oven.
The oven has long since become standard equipment in every kitchen.
Modern devices have various functions that are identified by symbols.
However, the different settings often cause confusion.
Because what is the difference between circulating air and top/bottom heat?
Set the oven correctly: hot air or top and bottom heat?
A horizontal line at the top and one at the bottom – this symbol probably looks familiar to you.
This indicates the most well-known setting, top and bottom heat.
Many people only use this mode whenever they turn on the oven.
Here heating coils are used in the upper and lower parts of the oven to generate heat.
This means that the baking tray is best placed on the middle shelf.
There is an even distance between the ceiling and floor, so that the same amount of hot air hits the tray from above and below and everything is cooked nicely.
The information “top/bottom heat” is standard for ovens.
© IMAGO
In recipes, the baking temperature is usually specified for top and bottom heat.
And yet it may be worthwhile to try out other settings such as the recirculation function (indicated by a fan).
A fan is used here to distribute the air evenly in the oven.
This is particularly advantageous when baking larger quantities or several baking trays at the same time, as different rails can be used.
In addition, a lower temperature is sufficient.
Compared to top and bottom heat, circulating air is around 20 degrees less.
This is a clever way to save energy.
When does the recirculation function make sense?
With the recirculation mode you can reduce electricity costs - but there are other reasons why the fan function is worthwhile.
“Convection air is good for rolls where you want to achieve a crispy crust all around,” says Munich master baker Sebastian Brücklmaier in an interview with the
Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin.
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Frozen and homemade pizza, puff pastry and cookies can also be baked well with convection.
These dry baked goods then become particularly crispy as moisture is removed from them.
In general, the circulating air function is suitable for all thin doughs, but also for moist cakes.
The base of pizza and tarte flambée becomes even crispier if the bottom heat is switched on in addition to the circulating air.
Top and bottom heat: When the classic setting is worth it
The disadvantage of circulating air is that fried food or baked goods can dry out due to the fan.
This can be particularly difficult when baking delicate products.
Sebastian Brücklmaier explains: “Personally, I usually bake with top and bottom heat because the calm air is gentler on the pastries.
After all, the dough also contains water.
With a calm heat from below, the water vapor only escapes in one direction and the heat penetrates the pastry more quickly.”
Master confectioner Martin Rößler also shares this opinion.
“We bake everything in our pastry shop using top and bottom heat,” he reveals to
Br
.
However, circulating air has the advantage that you can put several trays in the oven at the same time when baking cookies, for example.
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Delicate foods such as roasts, cheesecakes and sponge cake should therefore be baked using top and bottom heat so that they remain juicy on the inside.
The same goes for muffins.
This is what it says on
Dr.
Oetker
: “Muffins bake more evenly with top/bottom heat than with circulating air.
When baking without a muffin tray in paper cases on the tray, it can even happen that they become a little 'crooked' when using the circulating air."
Separate use of top and bottom heat is possible
Top and bottom heat can also be used separately.
If you use the settings cleverly, you can give roasts and gratins a delicious brown crust thanks to the top heat.
According to Gutekueche.de
, the bottom heat can
be used to brown fruit cakes from below, but not the top.
By the way, converting temperature information is child's play: simply subtract 20 degrees to get the appropriate temperature for baking in a convection oven.
For example, 180 degrees top and bottom heat corresponds to 160 degrees circulating air.