Warning: check your oven's real temp before you bake another loaf

I was baking sourdough in my kitchen in Boise last Saturday and my third loaf in a row came out with a pale, gummy bottom, so I finally stuck a $9 oven thermometer on the middle rack. Turns out my dial saying 450 was really running at 390, which explains why every crust in my last 6 bakes came out soft and sad. I cranked the dial up 60 degrees to compensate and the very next loaf got that dark crackly crust I had been chasing for weeks. If you have never checked your oven with a separate thermometer, please do it before your next bake, it takes 5 minutes. Has anyone else found their oven was way off, and how far off was it?

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felixlane14d ago

Also check it at different rack spots since my top ran hot while the bottom sat 40 low.

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