Creative Baking: One-Pan Wonders

how to bake with one side of a pan

Baking is a precise art, and the right equipment is essential. The pan you choose can make a big difference to your bake, whether you're after a cake with clean, straight edges or trying to avoid over-browning the base of your scones. There are many types of baking pans to choose from, including round, square, oblong, rectangular, and springform. If you're short on space or want to experiment with different bakes, it's good to know that you can make substitutions. For example, if you want a square cake rather than a round one, you can use a 9-inch round pan or an 8-inch square pan. You can even bake two flavors in one pan by dividing the pan with foil or baking two separate batters one after the other.

cycookery

Preventing over-browning with double panning

Double panning is a simple technique that can prevent over-browning when baking. It involves placing one baking sheet on top of another and can be used when baking with ingredients such as brown sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup, and butter, which are prone to over-browning.

Double panning is particularly useful when baking items with a long baking time, such as sweet breads, as these ingredients will over-brown quickly. By using two baking sheets, the heat is distributed more evenly, slowing down the baking of the bottom of the item. This technique can also be applied to baked goods with chocolate or dark doughs.

When using double panning, it is important to note that the baking time may need to be increased by a few minutes to ensure the item is cooked through. This is because the double pan setup slows down the baking process slightly, especially for the bottom of the item. However, the extra time required is usually minimal and ensures that the final product is evenly baked, with a desirable colour and texture.

Double panning is a useful technique for bakers of all skill levels, as it helps to prevent over-browning and burning, resulting in evenly baked goods with a consistent colour and texture. It is a simple solution that can make a significant difference in the final outcome of your baked goods, especially when dealing with ingredients prone to over-browning.

cycookery

Baking two flavours in one pan

Baking with one side of a pan can be a fun and creative way to make unique treats. Here are some tips and tricks for baking two flavours in one pan:

Choose the Right Pan

Select a pan that is the appropriate size and shape for your desired cake. You can use a standard 11x15 baking pan or get creative with a straight-sided pan for extra crispy edges and corners. If you're making a cake roll, you'll need a jelly roll pan, and for pies, a standard pie plate is typically 9" round. Consider using a springform pan or a tart pan with a removable bottom for easy removal and slicing.

Prepare the Batters

Have your two batters ready. You can use any combination of flavours you like, such as chocolate and vanilla, lemon almond, or even chocolate hazelnut. Keep in mind that some batters, especially those with brown sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup, or large amounts of butter, may be more prone to over-browning. If you're using a darker baking pan, consider lowering the oven temperature by 25°F to prevent over-browning.

Divide and Pour the Batters

If you want a distinct line between the two flavours, create a divider by folding a piece of aluminium foil or using a cookie sheet, wax paper, or cardboard. Prop one side of the pan up slightly, pour in one batter, remove the prop, and then pour in the second batter so they meet in the middle. Alternatively, pour both batters simultaneously, adjusting the pouring speed as needed to maintain an even distribution.

Baking Tips

Keep in mind that some batters, like chocolate, may bake higher than others. Adjust the amounts of batter accordingly, and consider using Bake Even Strips to promote even baking. If you're baking multiple items in the oven simultaneously, such as savoury and sweet goods, be mindful of potential aroma transfer. Ensure that meat products are covered with foil and placed below other items to avoid drippage.

Final Touches

Once your cake is baked and cooled, you can further decorate and customise it. Try filling each half with different fillings or creating a marbled effect in the middle by swirling the batters together. Get creative and experiment with different flavour combinations and decorations to make your unique two-flavoured cake!

cycookery

Substituting baking pans

If you are substituting a baking pan that holds the same amount of batter, be wary of the baking time because the dimensions of the baked good will change. Always keep your eye on the oven and begin checking for doneness earlier than the recipe states. Remember, only fill pans about 1/2 to 2/3 full unless otherwise instructed in the recipe.

  • Tart Pan with a removable bottom – these are normally 10-inches around, so you may need a bigger crust.
  • Springform pan – same as the tart pan – you may need some extra crust.
  • 9″ x 13″ x 2″ rectangular pan or a jelly roll pan – make a slab pie! You’ll need about double the crust.
  • Muffin tin – use a 2.5″ round cookie cutter for standard muffin pans and a 1.5″ round cookie cutter for mini muffin tins.
  • Double panning can be used to prevent over-browning. This method is useful for baked goods with ingredients such as brown sugar, honey, molasses, corn syrup, or a lot of butter.

cycookery

Baking with straight-sided pans

Straight-sided pans are also ideal for creating true corner pieces in your bakes. If you're a fan of crispy edges, these pans provide twice the crispiness of a regular pan, as the corners have two crispy sides. Straight-sided pans are perfect for recipes like baked ziti, where the browned cheese along the sides is a delicious bonus, or a snacking cake with caramelized sugar framing the edges.

Another advantage of straight-sided pans is their versatility. You can use them to cut sheet cakes into perfect squares or create right-angled sandwiches from focaccia slices. The metal construction of these pans also ensures even baking, and they are built to last for years.

However, it's important to note that straight-sided pans have a specific capacity. Overfilling the pan with batter will result in a taller dome rather than straight sides. To achieve the desired straight sides, it's recommended to follow the optimal batter quantities for your pan size. For example, an 8" x 1.5" round pan should be filled with no more than 1 3/4 cups of batter, while a 9" x 1.5" pan should be filled with 2 1/4 cups. Additionally, cake-mix based recipes tend to result in straighter sides compared to scratch cake recipes.

cycookery

Scaling recipes for different pan sizes

Scaling a recipe to fit a different pan size involves adjusting the quantity of ingredients to match the volume of the new pan. This is particularly important in baking, where the ratio of ingredients to pan size can significantly impact the outcome.

Firstly, it is important to note that some cakes have unique structural considerations that require a specific type of pan. For example, angel food cake should be baked in a natural aluminium tube pan, and cheesecakes are typically baked in a loose-bottom or springform pan submerged in a water bath. Deviating from the specified pan in these cases could lead to unforeseen consequences.

When scaling a recipe, the general rule is to weigh the ingredients and use metric measurements, as this makes it easier to scale up or down. To increase the volume of a recipe for a larger pan, divide the area of the larger pan by the area of the smaller pan specified in the recipe to get the conversion factor. Then, multiply each ingredient amount in the recipe by this conversion factor. Conversely, to decrease the volume for a smaller pan, divide the area of the smaller pan by the area of the larger specified pan and use this new conversion factor to adjust the ingredient amounts.

It is important to remember that you should never fill a pan to the top. When switching to a larger pan, fill it about halfway to two-thirds full, and increase the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit while decreasing the baking time. For a smaller pan, the batter should be shallower, so lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit and increase the baking time.

Additionally, certain techniques can be employed to bake with one side of a pan. For instance, creating a foil-covered cardboard divider to separate the pan into two sections allows for baking two different flavours simultaneously. Alternatively, a double panning method can be used, where two baking sheets are stacked on top of each other to prevent over-browning and promote even baking.

Hexclad Pans: Heavy or Light?

You may want to see also

Frequently asked questions

It depends on the size of your oven. Most standard 30" ovens should be able to accommodate two quarter sheet pans side by side on one rack.

Yes, you can. You can use a foil-covered cardboard divider or simply pour the batters simultaneously from both bowls directly into the middle of the pan to create a clean line.

You must use a jelly roll pan for a cake roll. No other pan can be substituted for this.

Double panning can help prevent over-browning. Simply place one baking sheet on top of another. This will slow down the baking of the bottom of your baked goods, so you may need to increase the baking time by a few minutes.

Yes, you can bake a cake with any size pan. However, scaling the recipe up or down or changing the pan size may require some precision to ensure the cake bakes properly.

Written by
Reviewed by
Share this post
Print
Did this article help you?

Leave a comment