There’s a lot going on in the heat of the bake. That’s why your oven has so many settings! But understanding how the oven temperature relates to the product temperature is a big one.
Product temperature vs. oven temperature
When a product is placed in the oven, the internal temp is quite lower than the oven temp (obviously). But because baking takes place at atmospheric pressure, and moisture escapes freely from the product without leaving it completely dried, the internal temperature of the food does not exceed 100°C (212°F) or the boiling point of water.
What do I need to monitor about this?
- Quantify the difference between the product core temperature and oven temperature in the oven. In some cases this difference can be high.
- The bigger the difference between external and internal temperature, the larger the temperature gradient will be for heat transfer to bake the product.
- Variations in oven temperature MUST be addressed, as these can be caused by unbalanced heat transfer which can cause unevenness in coloring and final moisture content distribution in products.
Oven temperature and it’s impact on product temperature also effects:
- Development (also known as oven spring
- Drying (reduction of dough/batter moisture)
- Color formation
