Community Forums

bobandshaz · 08-24-2014, 03:50 PM

Hi everyone. While we were searching for our RV I was concerned about baking since I am a pastry chef and unsure about using the small convection oven. Well our RV didn't have a convection oven. I also never used the oven in our last RV. Last night made a killer chicken dish and today I am playing with the oven baking. Pic of the very first batch of chocolate chip cookies. I am now sure I can carry on my baking while on the road with a baby shower cake that will have to be baked , built and decorated all in the RV.

Thanks to everyone that helped with my concerns.
Shaz

wa8yxm · 08-24-2014, 05:40 PM

IF you have a propane oven in your RV one thing that many (Myself included) have done is get either a Pizza Stone or an UNGLAZED clay tile (1' by 1') and lay it on the bottom of the oven,, This tends to improve heat control and make for better and more even baking.

I now use both the propane oven and a small electric oven (Basically a very large toaster oven) (It can toast too) and make cookies usually Sinckerdoodles, most every week here in GA for a nearby pot luck.

Have also done assorted roasts, Cheese cake.. Pies,, Do not do cakes (By choice not due to any deficiency in the oven.. I just do not care that much for cake) Have done cakes in the past but not in the RV.

(Learned to cook when my age was still expressed with a single digit, Did cakes, cookies, brownies and pizza back then, Learned pie in my mid teens (Self taught) and .. Well... Lots of stuff since)

NOTE to parents: Teach your SONS how to cook (My mother did, though not entierly by choice), Why.. Well back when I was in school boys took Shop and girls Home Ec. Howeer I learned to cook for other reasons (Special school that treate all the same for a couple years and mother was on bed rest and could not cook, Since I had limited kitchen skills and was the oldest of 4.. I got Kitchen duty, and a very good education since Mother was a very good cook).

Well, I graduated high school, went off to college, turned 18, and 21, and 27 before I got married at 27.5.. 34.5 years later my one and only wife left me the religiously approved way (Lost control of the used car we had just purchased and slammed into a tree at 50 mph per witnesses and skid marks, as they say "Till death do you part") many of my class mates, Graduated, Dad showed them the door, they did not knwo how to boil water so they had to get married right away.. Good number of them were divorced twice before I got married. My brother .. Just once. before I got married.

bobandshaz · 08-24-2014, 07:52 PM

Yes, the given is on gas and I just ordered a pizza stone for the given. I had heard about the uneven heat distribution.

I must as a pastry chef have an oven I can trust since I bake constantly and when we will be away in Jan I have a very important cake I must create for a baby shower.

Thank you so much for the information.

PyrateSilly · 08-25-2014, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

Do not do cakes (By choice not due to any deficiency in the oven.. I just do not care that much for cake) Have done cakes in the past but not in the RV.

Thom and I don't like cake too much either. We seem to eat way too much with cake so instead I take the cake recipe and just make cup cakes instead. Much easier to control what and how much you eat. I also don't put the frosting on them until we go to eat them. Much easier to store them in a freezer bag without the frosting on them. It's also easier to take them someplace and then just have the frosting there for people to put how much they want on them instead of me piling it on, lol.
As a matter of fact I will be making Pumpkin Pie cupcakes today for a Wednesday morning meeting he has this week, it's his turn to bring something and I already have the pumpkin puree that I made a few months ago.

Percival6 · 08-25-2014, 01:26 PM

Hi All,
We'll second the pizza stone idea. My DW loves to bake for the kids, and of course I have to ensure the quality of said product. We've done a couple small dishes as well. The stone definitely helps even the heating. Still we place a baking rack on top of it keeps the heat from burning the bottom of whatever is being cooked. We don't use the oven rack as there is so little room above the burner. The only thing with the stone is it takes a lot longer to preheat the oven. But its usually worth the wait!

Enjoy!

Tom

wa8yxm · 08-25-2014, 02:38 PM

One more thing I will mention.. MEASURE THE OVEN TEMP, do not trust the dial.. I have a sticker on my dial (Add 50 degrees to what recipe calls for) actually it's more like 10%.

bobandshaz · 08-26-2014, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Percival6

Hi All,
We'll second the pizza stone idea. My DW loves to bake for the kids, and of course I have to ensure the quality of said product. We've done a couple small dishes as well. The stone definitely helps even the heating. Still we place a baking rack on top of it keeps the heat from burning the bottom of whatever is being cooked. We don't use the oven rack as there is so little room above the burner. The only thing with the stone is it takes a lot longer to preheat the oven. But its usually worth the wait!

Enjoy!

Tom

Thank you for the info. Yes an oven thermometer is important and in the list to get along with one for the refrigerator. I did notice the given was running hot while baking. A good timer is also important which I also use.

bearaboo · 08-26-2014, 07:26 AM

Round pizza stone seems to do the trick!

SomeDay · 08-31-2014, 11:06 AM

We are home foodies, rarely eat out except an odd bakery we can't pass by or a local dish you just can't miss. Have done roasts and some cakes but found my yorkshires ended up like hockey pucks in the gas stove and the fruit in my cakes hit the bottom. Thanks for tip on the pizza stone it's on the list to get.

Hubby cooks wonderful meals, but doesn't bake except helping me when I do. All's good, we can both generally do most things equally so if one's away other does and so on.

Ray,IN · 08-31-2014, 09:01 PM

Only use a wireless, remote thermometer to measure oven temperature. It's amazing how quickly the oven will cool from a 10 second peek in the oven by opening the door. Once you have the temperature control calibrated and a pizza stone or tiles to help keep the temperature more even, it's surprisingly nice to use. Due to its small size and minimal insulation, even a fan blowing towards the oven will cause disappointment with results.