# Converting recipes to bake in a commercial convection oven



## siouxiebee (Jul 14, 2016)

Hello... I am having trouble finding a good conversion method for taking regular baking recipes and re-creating them at work in the commercial convection oven. I have read in several places to just adjust the temp down by 25 degrees.  This seems to work with items with longer bake times, such as sweet breads. Not so much with things I can't check on repeatedly...like the eclairs I way over baked this afternoon. Is there a formula I should be going by?


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## fablesable (Oct 11, 2014)

That is only a rule of thumb guideline which I find to be nonsense most of the time. You do not need to convert a recipe from conventional to convection as they are very similar ways of baking per se. Now when you say "re-create" can you be more specific?? Are you taking a recipe that says "makes 12" and doubling or tripling to get more product??


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## rlyv (Oct 28, 2005)

Maybe just double check that your oven is calibrated to the right temp. The convection oven I use at work seems to run hotter than it says. I bake everything at 300F, and even lower it to 275F for bread pudding and some cookies. 
Does it have a button that controls fan speed? I also keep the fan on low. 
Other than that, there shouldn't be anything different you need to do to your recipes.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

Also know that there are just some things you can't bake in a convection oven because of the moving air.

Creme Puffs and eclairs come to mind right away. They end up looking like they were blown to one side or the other.

Other items include anything that has had whipped egg whites added to it. Sponge, Genoise, Souffle's.

Cakes and cookies must be watched and turned to insure even baking. 

Convection baking is more useful for proteins and quick baking. I have had many years of disappointments with experiences in convection ovens. I finally settled on a brand where the fan can be turned off and the oven used conventionally.


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## siouxiebee (Jul 14, 2016)

Thank you everyone for the replies....

   What I mean by re-creating is really just taking new recipes that I have found and trying them at work.  I usually try a small batch of a new recipe to see how it works before upping quantities.  I have tested the temp in this oven and while it does have hot spots it generally runs true to temperature.

   I may play around with the fan settings. The batch of eclairs I tried out seemed to hold their shape well, they were just way way over cooked. Generally when I try a new recipe I just keep a really close eye on things, but this eclair recipe stated not to open the door during the cooking time. I had adjusted the temp down the "suggested" 25 degrees but kept the time the same.

  I was hoping that there was some rule of thumb I could go by instead of just guessing when I try something new...but it sounds like by problems may have more to do with this particular oven.


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## kathryn (Jul 18, 2016)

If somesome has the baking recipe, please share it, thanks


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