Cookies should (almost) always be baked on the middle rack of the oven. The middle rack offers the most even heat and air circulation which helps cookies bake consistently.
For more even baking, position oven rack at the center of the oven and bake one sheet of cookies at a time. If you prefer to bake two sheets, space racks so oven is divided into thirds and switch cookie sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.
Choose the oven’s middle rack when baking cookies
Most ovens heat from the bottom, according to Taste of Home, therefore, any cookies placed on the bottom rack are apt to burn before they’re cooked through, and any placed on the top rack will bake slowly and unevenly.
Oven Temperature
Generally, cookies are baked in a moderate oven — 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) — for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie. For chewy cookies, allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Instead of greasing your cookie sheet, line it with a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Either will prevent sticking and help protect the bottoms of your cookies.
Does oven rack placement matter?
However, if you’re cooking only one thing, it’s still best to have it on the center rack in the middle of the oven. In a nutshell, if you keep your oven rack in the middle your food will cook evenly 95 percent of the time.
The cookie sheet may be too large for the oven and not allowing sufficient heat circulation. The heat is trapped under the pan and the cookies will burn on the bottom before the tops are brown. We recommend at least 1 to 1 1/2 inches around the cookie sheet. The oven door may have been opened too often.
Problem #5: Crispy on the outside, raw on the inside
That, or the dough wasn’t cool enough before baking. Warm cookie dough or excess butter will cause the cookies to spread too much, baking quickly on the outside but remaining raw in the middle.
Baking two trays of cookies at a time is fairly standard, but if your oven has space for more, three or four can be used. Industrial ovens often have five or six racks. Putting four trays of cookies in an oven will still not affect the cooking time, but the trays may still need to be rotated for even browning.
Baking soda encourages spreading while baking powder puffs the cookies up. If your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, you would use 3 to 4 teaspoons of baking powder.
Even heat created by the air circulating in convection yields the irresistible combination of crunchy and gooey – and some say it’s the secret to the perfect cookie. But, if you prefer a softer, chewy cookie, use Bake mode without convection.
Bake at 375 degrees F until golden and tender, 12 to 15 minutes. For crispy-cakey cookies: Bake the cookies at 425 degrees F until golden and crunchy on the outside, 8 to 10 minutes. For chewy cookies: Use 1 cup light brown sugar and 1/4 cup corn syrup and omit the granulated sugar.
Does an oven bake from the top or bottom?
Most ovens are insulated metal boxes that contain two heating elements, one on the top of the oven and one on the oven floor. During preheating, both elements heat up, but when in baking mode, all the heat comes from the bottom.
Rather than using the middle racks, place your baking sheet directly on the floor of the oven. This will “provide the hottest, most even and direct heat possible.”
What is the bottom shelf of the oven for?
Gas ovens that contain the heating unit in the bottom may offer the space as a broiling drawer. This is often a very narrow space that functions as a broiler and fits shallow baking sheets, dishes, or pans. It’s ideal for browning the tops of casseroles, caramelizing chicken skin, or even roasting vegetables.
Prevent Burned Cookies
Usually cookies have enough fat in them to not stick. If you’re concerned about sticking, use parchment paper to line the pan, as it won’t promote over-browning. Parchment paper also makes it so sticky ingredients don’t make a mess of your pan; it guarantees easy clean up.
Parchment creates better cookies
Unlike aluminum foil and wax paper, parchment is treated with silicone, giving it a non-stick quality. That translates to a freshly baked batch, without having to peel slivers of silver from the bottom of your baker’s dozen.
Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They’ll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven’s hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.
Which is the hottest rack in the oven?
Most (if not all) ovens are hotter at the top than at the bottom. Thus, if you have two baking sheets in your oven, one on a higher rack and one on a lower rack, the one on the higher rack will cook faster.
Why is the top of the oven hotter than the bottom?
What might be less obvious is that a similar thing happens when the oven door is closed, as the hot air that cooks your food rises to the top of the oven. This makes this top of the oven much hotter than the bottom.
Place one baking sheet at a time onto center rack of preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, still have pale tops, and are soft in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not overbake! They will firm up more during cooling.)
Can parchment paper go in the oven?
It’s also called baking or bakery paper. Brown parchment is unbleached, while white parchment is chemically treated to remove the paper’s natural color. Parchment can be used in the oven and microwave. Most brands are oven-safe up to 420 F, though you should always check the manufacturer’s recommendation.
Cookie chemistry: We’re taking a 180° turn from our crunchy cookies, substituting higher-moisture brown sugar and butter for their lower-moisture counterparts: granulated sugar and vegetable shortening. That, plus a shortened baking time, yields a cookie that’s soft and chewy all the way through.
While brown sugar keeps your cookies moist and soft, white sugar and corn syrup will help your cookies spread and crisp in the oven. Using more white sugar in your cookies will result in a crispier end product. To achieve a crispy cookie, skip the rest in the fridge.
One of the most common reasons why cookies didn’t spread out in the oven is because you added too much flour. Cookies rely on the perfect ratio of butter to flour in order to spread just the right amount when baked. It’s very easy to over measure flour when using cup measurements.
If you put that cookie dough on a hot baking sheet, the butter begins to melt prematurely, which wrecks its even distribution in your recipe. The bottom and edges of your cookies will begin to spread, leaving the center of your cookies to bake unequally (imagine a hat-shaped cookie).
Ensure that your oven is preheated to the temperature stated in the recipe before baking the cookies. Don’t be tempted to start baking the cookies until the oven is at temperature! What is this? TIP: Preheating the oven will ensure even baking of the cookies.
“Every oven is different and has hot spots, which are areas that heat up faster than others,” she explains. “To prevent the hot spots from unevenly cooking your food, you should always preheat the pan or baking sheet.”
Chilling cookie dough
- Chilling cookie dough for just 30 minutes makes a big difference. The cookies pictured above are the same size, weight-wise.
- The longer you chill cookie dough, the smaller the changes become.
- Over time, chilling cookie dough produces cookies with darker color and more pronounced flavor.
Mistake: When cookies turn out flat, the bad guy is often butter that is too soft or even melted. This makes cookies spread. The other culprit is too little flour—don’t hold back and make sure you master measuring. Finally, cookies will also flatten if placed and baked on hot cookie sheets.
Cookies spread because the fat in the cookie dough melts in the oven. If there isn’t enough flour to hold that melted fat, the cookies will over-spread. Spoon and level that flour or, better yet, weigh your flour. If your cookies are still spreading, add an extra 2 Tablespoons of flour to the cookie dough.
2. Prevent Excess Spreading
- Chill your cookie dough. See tip #1 above.
- Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Never place cookie dough balls onto a hot baking sheet.
- Butter may have been too warm.
- Under-measuring the flour.
- Don’t over-mix the cookie dough.
How to Fix Cakey Cookies
- Don’t Chill Your Cookies.
- Use Melted Butter instead of Room Temperature Butter.
- Use Less Flour.
- Don’t Beat the Butter and Sugar Too Much.
- Add Baking Soda.
- Decrease Baking Powder.
- Drop the Pan on the Counter a Few Times after Baking.
- Decrease the Amount of Eggs.
Normally the cookie should not be too flat – should be rounded in the middle, should snap if it’s crispy or bend and break if it’s chewy. If it has nuts, there should be enough of them to have a piece in every bite. The cookies should be big enough to get a good taste of the cookie but not so big that it’s a full meal.
Well, the long and short answer to chewy cookies is it’s all about the moisture content. Cookies that are dense and chewy incorporate more moisture into the batter. This can be achieved by making substitutions with ingredients, or even just changing the way you incorporate certain ingredients.
Cookie Dough Baking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 – 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cover your baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Drop cookies on the baking sheet.
- Gently tap the cookie down to get a good spread and circular shape.
- Allow 2” between each cookie in order to avoid them spreading into each other.
Open up the oven, pull out the rack a bit, and push the sides of the cookie very lightly with a spatula or your finger. If the edge stays firm and doesn’t fall inwards, then your cookies are done. If you leave a noticeable indention, then your cookies likely need a few minutes more in the oven.
Where is the hottest place in a gas oven?
The top of the oven is markedly hotter than the bottom, and the back, nearer the flame, is hotter than the front. Other than that they are pretty similar to electric ovens. Gas ovens may use gas mark settings rather than a temperature scale – converters abound online if so.
What is a top oven used for?
When you are cooking things at different temperatures, and for different times, they are invaluable. Firstly, you can use the top oven for cooking different dishes. But you can also use the top oven as a warming oven. You can keep certain parts of the meal warm as you’re dishing up.
“When ingredients are heated, especially chocolate, jelly and sugar, they can become sticky and hard, making them likely to adhere to the paper. This is fairly unavoidable, since these ingredients are in most pastries,” states Richards.
Doughy cookies may be the result of under baking, which prevents enough moisture from evaporating off. If you find the edges of your cookies are fully cooked but the center is still too doughy, reduce the baking temperature and increase the baking time.
Which side of parchment paper goes up?
There is no right or wrong side to parchment paper, so either side can be used. For the best baking results, use a fresh sheet of parchment paper for each pan of cookies.
When should you not use parchment paper?
When Not to Use Parchment Paper. Parchment paper is not designed for high heat cooking. Avoid using it in your oven or on the grill if temperature will exceed 400 degrees, says Michelle Weaver, chef at Charleston Grill in South Carolina, as there’s a chance it could catch fire.
The most common pan for cookies is a 13” x 9” x 2” size, sometimes referred to as a “quarter sheet.” Jelly roll pans measuring 15½” x10½” x 1” are also regularly used for baking cookies.
Ideally, cookies are baked one sheet at a time, placed horizontally across the middle oven rack. You should also rotate the pan about three-quarters of the way through the bake time.
9 Tips to Remember
- Use Real Butter and Keep It Cool. The low melting point of butter may be what makes your cookies flat.
- Use Shortening.
- Chill Dough Twice.
- Use Parchment Paper or a Silicone Liner.
- Measure Precisely.
- Use Fresh Baking Soda.
- Use Optional Add-Ins.
- Buy an Oven Thermometer.
Sugars, like fats liquefy in the oven. White sugar will make your cookies crispier while brown sugar contains more moisture and will result in a softer and more chewy cookie. Most chocolate chip cookie recipes call for both sugars.
For more even baking, position oven rack at the center of the oven and bake one sheet of cookies at a time. If you prefer to bake two sheets, space racks so oven is divided into thirds and switch cookie sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.
Why baking at right temperature is important?
More often than not, controlling the temperature in an oven does more than just ensuring doneness—it can affect the texture and flavour of the dish or baked goods. Generally, a temperature that’s too low makes it harder for your food to be done, and a bitter, burnt taste will emerge in overcooked food.
Does an oven bake from the top or bottom?
Most ovens are insulated metal boxes that contain two heating elements, one on the top of the oven and one on the oven floor. During preheating, both elements heat up, but when in baking mode, all the heat comes from the bottom.
Do brownies go on the top or bottom rack?
The middle oven rack is the happy place where air is circulating, the heat sources are evenly distributed, and tops and bottoms aren’t in danger of burning or browning too quickly. It’s the perfect place for cakes, cookies, and brownies to stay and bake.
Can I use both oven racks at the same time?
Yes, you can! Make sure to check the wings occasionally to see if the pans need to be switched to ensure even cooking. One of the racks may get hotter than the other. You can also make sure that both of the pans are placed as close to the center of the oven as possible by adjusting the rack positions.
Rather than using the middle racks, place your baking sheet directly on the floor of the oven. This will “provide the hottest, most even and direct heat possible.”
What is the bottom rack of the oven for?
Gas ovens that contain the heating unit in the bottom may offer the space as a broiling drawer. This is often a very narrow space that functions as a broiler and fits shallow baking sheets, dishes, or pans. It’s ideal for browning the tops of casseroles, caramelizing chicken skin, or even roasting vegetables.
Does it matter what shelf in a fan oven?
It is also generally best to bake on the middle shelf of the oven to ensure even heat distribution.